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the  Internet  Archive 

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https://archive.org/details/homemakingitsphi01arch 


LEST  THE  RACE  FORGET  HER  WORTHY  SIRES 


To  my  Brothers  and  Sisters 
Harriet,  Emily,  George,  Arthur,  Sarah,  Annie 
and  our  Fourteen  Sons  and  Nine  Daughters 

to  live  worthily  of  our  long  heritage 
This   volume   is  affectionately  dedicated 
by  the  Author. 


"Oar  lives  are  songs, 

God  writes  the  words, 
And  we  set  them  to  music  at  leisure, 

And  the  song  is  sad 

Or  the  song  is  glad 
As  we  choose  to  fashion  the  measure." 


CONTENTS 


BOOK  ONE 

Chapter  PQge 

I  Colonial  Days         .......  3 

II  The  Race  in  Nova  Scotia  ......  9 

III  The  Concentric  Circle      ......  24. 

IV  A  Comprehensive  Situation       .....  32 
V  Sheep  Washing  and  Clipping     .....  38 

VI  Maple  Sugar  Making  in  Musquodoboit       ...  41 

VII  Tremont  Temple,  Governor  Howe  and  Mr.  Annand      .  47 

VIII  Red  House  Nature  Stories   58 

IX  Personality            .......  65 

X  Roadside  Trees       .......  72 

XI  Looking  through  an  Open  Window    ....  79 

XII  Work  Our  Natural  Heritage   87 

XIII  A  Long  Drive  with  Mother  to  Cape  Breton  .        .        .  98 

XIV  The  Water  Supply           \  104 
XV  The  Trees  and  the  Birds  .        .        .        .        .        .  107 

XVI  A  Snow  Storm  in  the  Fifties      .        .        .        .        .  116 

XTVTI  Lumbering  and  Building  Bees   .        .                 .         .  119 

XVIII  Home  Scenes  Enlarged     .                 ....  130 

XIX  Other  Life  on  the  Farm            .        .        .        .        .  137 

XX  The  Forge  on  the  Farm  .          .        .        .        .        .  142 

XXI  Visiting  Relatives  Arriving  in  Nova  Scotia   .        .        .  148 

XXII  A  Perilous  Winter  Road   151 

XXIII  The  Village  Church  in  Stewiacke       ....  159. 

XXIV  Influence  of  Roads  and  Weather  .  .  .  .  163 
XXV  We  are  Benefactors  of  the  Race          ....  168 

XXVI  The  Hills  and  the  Springs          .        .        .        .        .  175 

XXVII  A  Plea  for  Life  in  the  Country    .....  183 

XXVIII  Boyish  Pranks   19c 

XXIX  The  Old-Fashioned  Orchard   192 

XXX  Horticulture  in  the  Twentieth  Century  (Science)   .        .  199 

XXXI  Thanksgiving  Day  and  Christmas      ....  203 

XXXII  Our  Father's  Going,  Christmas  Morning     .        .        .  209 

BOOK  TWO 

Chapter                                           M    1  PQge 

I  The  Civil  War        .......  225 

II  Wilson's  Famous  Raid      ......  235 

III  Crossing  the  James  on  Pontoons        ....  242. 

IV  Transfer  to  First  Maine  Cavalry        ....  248 

V  Thanksgiving  Dinner       ......  255 

VI  The  Final  Campaign        ......  260 

VII  The  Fall  of  Richmond  and  Petersburg        .        .        .  268 

V 


CONTENTS 


Chapter  Page 

VIII    Lee's  Surrender      .......  275 

IX    Ordered  to  Maine   282 

X    Mother's  Letters  to  Her  Son  in  War  ....  287 

BOOK  THREE 

Chapter  Page 
I    Parental  Solicitude 301 

II    Mother's  Letter  1868   305 

III  The  Missionary  Spirit      ......  314 

IV  A  Survey  of  Missions  in  India    .....  324 

V  A  Charming  Personality  ......  328 

VI    United  Retrospect    .......  333 

VII    A  Plea  for  Family  Worship   338 

VIII    Using  Ancestral  Bequeathments         ....  341 

IX    Home  the  Social  Unit       ......  345 

X    The  Sorrowing  Home       ......  350 

XI    Supernal  Love  Never  Dies        .....  359 

XII    Who  are  Our  Influential  Friends        ....  365 

XIII  Lineal  Societies  and  Their  Uses         ....  368 

XIV  The  King  of  Conifers       ......  369 

XV    Differences  between  Families    .....  372 

BOOK  FOUR 

Chapter  Page 
I    General  Information — Various  Armorial  Bearings — 

Landscape  in  Home  Life     .....  377 
II    The  Hon.  Sir  Adams  George  Archibald,  Governor  of 

Nova  Scotia — Address  at  Truro    ....  393 

III  Some  Prominent  Archibalds — Biographical  Sketches    .  425 

IV  Correspondence       .......  435 

V  Some  Archibald  Homes.     Growth  in  North  America 

— Addresses  of  a  Thousand  Homes      ,        ,        .  442 

APPENDIX 

Chapter  P°ge 
I    Family  Lineage  —  Personal  Correspondence  —  Social 

Letters      ........  467 


VI 


LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS 


Facing  Page 

The  Author  {Frontispiece) 

1  he  Archibald  Homestead,  Musquodoboit  . 

12 

Grazing  in  the  Autumn  Meadows  .... 

12 

AT1       1  »      T>          J  * 

A  rool  s  Paradise  ...... 

72 

The  Sweet-Smelling  Maples  on  the  Farm 

-to 

/"l                                TT                  T            1    •              T   V                   .1           A  If  11 

Governor  Howe  Looking  Down  the  Musquodoboit 

48 

1  he  Longiellow  Residence  at  Cambridge 

^2 

Mother's  Rosy  Apple  Tree  ..... 

68 

TL_      Tl        T>        J   T        J"                           A       l_"L    1  J  T           L  T. 

lhe  Lake  Road  Leading  to  the  Archibald  Lumber  Lot  . 

118 

Our  Brook  at  High  Water,  Coming  Down 

126 

The  March  of  Progress  ..... 

162 

Acadia  s  College  Dome  ..... 

172 

TL       A              '  T\ 

1  he  Author  s  Dream  ...... 

178 

My  Boyhood's  Ideal  Realized 

182 

The  Bay  of  Fundy  —  A  Climate  Study 

108 

y 

A  Character  Study  ...... 

2l6 

A  Cavalry  Soldier  Boy  ...... 

224. 

Sheridan  and  Staff  Reconnoitering  .... 

242 

President  Lincoln  and  General  Grant  at  the  Petersburg 

Front 

252 

Cavalry  Charge  at  Dinwiddie  .... 

260 

General  Lee's  Surrender  and  both  Battlefields  at  Appomattox 

276 

The  Cavalry  Habit  at  Sixty-eight  .... 

298 

Grandfather's  Boy  ...... 

466 

Allison's  Letter  ....... 

468 

A  Loving  Mother  and  Two  Little  Daughters 

470 

A  Noble  Mother   

488 

Vtt 


PREFACE 


THIS  book  was  written  by  a  busy  man  between  the 
hours  of  business  activities.  It  comes  from  the 
heart  of  one  who  is  not  a  stranger  to  communion 
with  his  Maker.  A  singularly  fresh  disappointment  leaves 
a  dark  background,  keenly  sensitive,  and  quivering  with 
lofty  longings  and  shattered  hopes.  But  life  to  rise  is 
mightier  than  the  logic  of  events.  The  reader  will  be  led 
by  the  author  into  a  kaleidoscopic  view  of  life's  doings. 

Circumstances  in  life  arose  which  were  calculated  to 
greatly  depress  him.  In  the  midst  of  these,  his  thoughts 
turned  back  to  his  very  happy  childhood,  where  came 
ten  little  children,  one  by  one,  into  the  home-nest,  to  be 
cared  for,  taught  and  led  by  two  great  home-ful  souls  whose 
time  was  devoted  equally  to  all  for  the  purpose  of  a  wider 
extension  of  happiness,  contentment  and  useful  citizenship. 
The  study  of  the  principles  and  the  philosophy  of  the  home- 
making  seized  him  afresh,  and  a  hopeful  feeling,  which 
he  identifies  with  one  he  found  in  the  old  "Red  House" 
in  the  long  ago,  began  to  pervade  him.  Many  people 
have  inherited  good  principles  and  there  are  also  many 
devoid  of  this  inheritance. 

The  reader  will  find  the  story  vivid  and  faithful  to 
the  facts.  It  is  an  appeal  to  the  people  and  the  State  to 
preserve  the  home  life  of  the  nation  as  their  civil  right. 
It  takes  centuries  to  give  lasting  strength  to  these  prin- 
ciples which  make  families  distinctive.  The  nation  has 
a  wireless  call  to  defend  this  right.  The  heart's  desire 
of  the  writer  is  to  awaken  kindlier  thoughts  and  convey 
useful  and  tender  messages  of  truth,  to  live  on  and  on. 
Of  our  personal  desires  to  do  right  or  wrong,  the  writer 
believes  it  is  easier  to  do  right  if  we  exercise  the  habit  to 

IX 


stop  and  think.  If  any  toiler  is  on  the  gloomy  line  or  worry 
train,  let  him  get  a  transfer  on  the  special  back  to  his  home 
of  childhood  days. 

"  Jump  on  the  train  and  pull  the  rope, 
That  lands  you  at  the  station  Hope." 

It  rejuvenates  age  to  live  our  lives  over  again.  Child's 
imagery  has  the  light  touch  of  real  life.  Bypaths  and 
leafy  shades  sail  into  our  picturesque  futures  in  songs 
of  nature  to  sweeten  age. 

The  reader  will  find  an  exultant  liberty  as  he  is  led  by 
the  author  through  fields  and  dells,  orchards  and  homes 
where  he  has  read  some  of  the  many  lessons  written  by 
the  Creator  and  still  unmastered  by  the  schools.  He  is 
indebted  to  more  than  a  dozen  persons  who  went  from 
the  Archibald  homestead  many  years  gone  by,  whose 
expressions  have  been  recalled  for  this  volume.  The 
river  and  its  banks  between  the  seen  and  the  unseen  seem 
to  have  narrowed  down,  until  the  unseen  comes  into  view 
and  voices  are  heard.  He  also  acknowledges  his  in- 
debtedness to  his  brothers  and  sisters  for  many  charming 
incidents  narrated  herein;  to  the  late  Israel  Longworth, 
Esq.,  for  personal  description  of  S.  G.  W.  Archibald's 
home  on  the  Salmon  River;  to  the  public  speeches  and 
letters  of  Joseph  Howe;  to  the  Nova  Scotia  Historical 
Society,  and  to  Burke's  "Titled  Nobility"  for  ancestral  trac- 
ings; also  to  the  history  of  the  First  Maine  Cavalry  by 
Lieutenant  Tobie,  for  data  and  extracts. 

W.  C.  A. 


x 


HOME-MAKING  AND  ITS 
PHILOSOPHY 


INTRODUCTION 

MR.  WILLIAM  CHARLES  ARCHIBALD  has 
placed  the  "House  of  Archibald"  under  lasting 
obligations  to  him.  He  has  done  more.  He  has 
made  a  valuable  contribution  of  practical  wisdom  to  every 
lover  of  truth,  beauty  and  progress  as  represented  in  home 
life.  "Home"!  Scarcely  a  word  in  the  English  language 
is  richer  in  meaning.  It  stands  in  the  thought  of  the 
noblest  members  of  the  human  race  for  all  that  is  best,  most 
desirable  and  holiest.  The  preservation  of  the  home  in 
purity,  integrity  and  true  unity,  is  the  one  guarantee  of 
progress  social,  political  and  religious. 

This  volume  is  a  portrayal  of  the  qualities,  principles 
and  purposes  which  lie  at  the  basis  of  ideal  home  life. 
Stronger  proof  could  hardly  be  offered  of  the  powerful 
influence  of  education  and  environment  than  these  pages 
reveal. 

There  is  also  unanswerable  proof  of  the  effect  of  heredity 
on  life  and  thus  an  emphasis  upon  parental  responsibility. 
The  volume  is  far  more  than  biographical  chronicle.  It 
is  full  of  suggestion  and  instruction  universally  applicable 
in  founding  and  developing  family  life.  Its  simplicity 
of  style  adds  to  its  charm.  The  practicality  of  its  sugges- 
tions enhances  its  value. 

Its  delineations  of  character  and  its  descriptions  of  nat- 
ural beauty  bring  the  reader  into  an  intimacy  of  fellowship 
with  a  family  whose  contributions  to  progress  give  it  a 
most  enviable  distinction.    While  the  narrative  or  nar- 

xi 


HOME-MAKING  AND  ITS  PHILOSOPHY 


ratives  will  have  a  positive  fascination  for  those  who  have 
the  good  fortune  to  be  branch,  twig,  blossom  or  leaf  on 
this  family  tree,  they  will  appeal  to  a  multitude  of  readers 
who  have  a  deep  interest  in  Life  with  its  perplexities  and 
its  problems,  its  joys  and  its  jolts,  its  infelicities  and  its 
inspirations.  It  will  stimulate  in  every  reader  exalted 
aspirations  and  will  lead  to  high  resolve  in  the  serious 
undertakings  of  life.  It  should  awaken  a  determined 
effort  to  prevent  the  unholy  invasion  of  home  life  and  the 
safeguarding  of  the  hearthstone  against  every  enemy. 
He  will  serve  his  God  and  his  Country  best  who  does  most 
to  make  the  home  a  place  of  perpetual  beatitude,  a  place 
filled  with  Divine  harmonies,  yea,  a  very  vestibule  to 
Paradise. 

A.  Z.  Conrad,  D.D. 

Pastor  Park  Street  Congregational  Church, 
Boston,  Mass. 


Xll 


BOOK  ONE 

HOME-MAKING  AND  ITS 
PHILOSOPHY 


CHAPTER  I 


COLONIAL  DATS 

WALLACE    ARCHIBALD,    Esquire,    of  Poplar 
Grove  Farm,  Musquodoboit,  was  the  son  of  Samuel 
Burke   Archibald,  whose  great-great-grandfather, 
Samuel  Archibald,  senior,  was  the  second  in  order  of  birth  of 
the  four  Archibalds  who  originally  settled  at  Truro,  Nova 
Scotia,  in  1762. 

This  emigration  embraced  persons  of  many  names,  who 
took  up  farms  dotting  the  table-lands  around  this  eastern 
arm  of  the  Bay  of  Fundy,  following  the  Acadians'  removal 
in  1755.  The  site  or  hub  of  this  town  was  laid  fifty  or  sixty 
miles  from  its  felloes,  Halifax,  New  Glasgow,  Pictou,  and 
Parrsboro,  encircling  the  wheel.  To-day  much  of  the  inter- 
vening areas  is  in  fine  farms,  with  forests  on  the  highlands, 
whose  increasing  revenues  flow  steadily  towards  this  thrifty 
railroad  center  of  beautiful  homes.  Truro  is  almost  en- 
vironed and  seamed  by  people  of  this  race,  whose  pastoral 
tastes  have  been  preserved  on  the  fertile  lands  and  rich 
marshes  extending  west  as  far  as  the  eye  can  see  down 
the  bay.  Their  descendants  have  gone  out  to  all  the 
continent. 

The  townships  of  Guysboro,  Pictou,  Colchester  and  Mus- 
quodoboit are  well  peopled  with  this  name.  Their  attach- 
ment and  love  for  Truro  as  their  ancestral  birthright  and 
New  World  race-home  has  been  deeply  and  permanently 
laid.  This  afTection  for  lineage  is  likely  some  day  to  find 
further  commemoration  in  memorials  honoring  the  blood  and 
race  which  is  steadily  growing  more  useful  and  prosperous 
wherever  located  in  this  western  world. 

The  Archibald  race,  seeing  opportunities  for  expansion, 
have  proved  to  be  good  colonizers.    They  go  out  from 

3 


HOME-MAKING  AND  ITS  PHILOSOPHT 


their  mother  land  as  individuals  or  in  families,  but  soon 
group  themselves  into  communities  and  continue  to  retain 
their  race  characteristics,  and  this  is  a  mark  of  their  strength 
of  inheritance.  They  share  the  honors  in  the  making  of 
three  Londonderrys. 

The  Archibalds,  so  far  as  they  have  been  traced,  seem 
to  have  gone  to  England  and  Scotland  through  the  Scan- 
dinavian Provinces  at  the  time  of  the  Danish  invasions. 

If  a  collection  of  names  of  a  widely  settled  race  is  a 
link  in  ancestral  tracing  or  even  ancestral  homes,  they  point 
to  the  Hebrew  period  beginning  with  Abram,  Adam,  Jacob, 
Joseph,  Asher,  Daniel,  Elisha,  Ephraim,  Asa,  David, 
Jonathan,  Cyrus,  Hiram,  Ebenezer,  Ezra,  Alexander,  Silas, 
Stephen,  Mark,  John,  James,  Hannah,  Rachael,  Mary  and 
many  others  (see  fourth  book)  and  these  names  are  main- 
tained to-day.  The  motive  and  power  that  preserved  and 
handed  along  the  old  family  names  has  proved  to  be  a 
strong  characteristic  of  this  race.  From  Scotland  they 
went  in  large  numbers  into  the  counties  of  Derry  and 
Ulster,  in  the  north  of  Ireiand,  many  centuries  ago,  and 
where  large  communities  of  them  remain  to-day  in  pros- 
perity.   From  Londonderry  they  emigrated  to  America. 

"After  the  Irish  Society  of  London  obtained  possession  of 
Derry,  in  1613  it  was  incorporated  under  the  name  of 
Londonderry.  From  April  1690  the  Protestants  of  the 
North  defended  themselves  within  its  walls  against  James  II 
until  the  siege  in  August." 

Of  the  Archibalds,  a  few  families  came  to  Londonderry, 
New  Hampshire,  while  it  was  still  a  wilderness.  Some  of 
these  emigrated  to  Truro,  Nova  Scotia,  about  1762. 

Londonderry,  Nova  Scotia,  is  situated  eighteen  miles 
north  of  Truro,  on  the  Intercolonial  Railroad,  and  is  the 
seat  of  the  oldest  iron-smelting  works  in  the  Province. 

4 


COLONIAL  DATS 


Its  location  is  one  of  great  natural  beauty,  lying  along 
the  two  picturesque  sides  of  a  deep  ravine  and  running 
stream  for  miles,  coming  from  the  base  of  the  Cobequid 
Mountains.  From  the  town,  stretching  east  and  west, 
lies  a  rich,  fertile  and  productive  country,  with  many 
families  of  the  Archibalds  who  are  owners  to-day  of  exten- 
sive farms  and  dyked  marshes. 

They  now  number  two  hundred  families  in  the  Province, 
or  about  a  thousand  persons.  So  far  as  data  are  available, 
the  daughters  of  this  race  are  less  numerous  than  the  sons. 
These  data  are  given  herein  and  may  one  day  be  of  use  to 
biologists. 

The  phonetic  sound  of  Arch-i-bald  carries  in  it  the  daring 
spirit  of  the  North,  as  in  Norseman.  It  has  its  antilogy  in 
the  soft  euphony  and  melody  of  Normandy.  The  middle 
letter  or  syllable  carries  a  slight  accent.  The  broader 
expressive  meaning  in  the  first  syllable  is  linked  with  the 
last  one,  uniting  the  high  sea  courage  of  the  vikings  with  the 
mountain  boldness  of  the  highlanders. 

"In  old  knightly  times  the  German,  Erchanbald,  meaning 
sacred  prince,  was  adapted  by  the  French  into  the  name 
Archambault,  and  by  the  Italians  to  Archibaldo.  The 
Scots,  too,  adopted  Archibald  as  the  lowland  equivalent 
of  Gillespie,  and  as  a  Christian  name  it  was  frequently 
heard  in  the  houses  of  the  Campbells  and  Douglases." 

"The  Anglo-Saxons  were  accustomed  to  perform  an 
incantation  to  restore  the  fruitfulness  of  their  fields.  It 
began  by  the  cry  'Erce  erce  eordhan  moder/  as  if  it  were 
not  the  Earth  itself,  but  her  mother,  that  was  called  upon." 

The  general  characteristic  of  the  race  is  pastoral.  In- 
dustry, integrity  and  hospitality  may  be  said  to  comprise  the 
essence  of  their  traits.  There  is  a  spirit  and  a  life  to  their 
work,  which,  touched  by  a  natural  simplicity,  is  both  the 

5 


HOME-MAKING  AND  ITS  PHILOSOPHY 


allied  companion  and  offspring  of  greatness.  God  seems  to 
say  by  the  mountain,  the  flower  and  the  bird  that  sings  above 
it,  "This  is  my  natural  work." 

The  touch  of  the  Parent  Gardener  was  felt 

In  the  daily  breathings  of  the  air, 

In  the  tender  whisperings  of  the  leaves, 

In  the  broad  beneficence  of  skies, 

In  the  flowering  time  of  meadow  lands. 

The  whish  of  the  pine,  the  whirr  of  the  bird  flocks  or  the 
tinkling  of  the  distant  waterfall  are  simply  repeating  waves 
of  musical  life.  The  vitalizing  of  the  heart  and  mind  and 
the  filling  out  of  the  personality  unfold  our  finer  intuitions 
which  inspire  and  guide  our  balance  with  external  things. 
As  men  think,  so  they  become  in  physical  reflection  or 
enduring  strength.  The  deeper  forces  of  their  natures 
intensified  the  desires  to  climb  the  slopes.  This  was  the 
spirit  of  the  life  back  of  their  expression.  This  conscious- 
ness transcends  the  human  limit,  as  naturally  as  the  rose 
diffuses  sweetest  fragrance.  Soul  activity  relies  upon  the 
rule  and  concord  relating  to  both  worlds.  They  drank  the 
cup  from  sorrow's  spring.  The  garnered  years  recorded  in 
this  volume  contribute  a  harvest  of  reminiscences  replete 
with  sweet,  golden  incidents.  A  purposeful  will  unrolls 
resources.  The  fount's  gentle  spray  sparkles  impressions 
in  showers,  to  poise  the  life,  to  press  its  effluence  in  just 
perceptions.  The  farm  acres  resting  on  the  bed-rock  of 
imperishable  principle,  plead  for  the  thoughtful  silence 
and  meditation. 

That  moment  is  not  lost  that  silence  holds 
In  purest  thought  of  goodness  and  of  love; 
In  every  quiet  hour  we  are  ascending 
That  height  whose  summit  is  the  light  above. 

6 


COLONIAL  DATS 


At  the  grindstone  of  uncongenial  toil,  fatigue  annuls  itself 
in  the  calm  peace  the  soul  draws  from  its  Maker.  In  the 
retrospect  we  see  the  heads  of  two  families  in  two  genera- 
tions moving  along  in  sentient  work,  their  thoughts  en- 
swathed  by  a  spirit,  kindlier  than  the  work  begot,  which 
lifted  them.  Intelligence  exhaled  impression  in  its  train 
that  glowed  with  light  and  warmth  by  the  hearthside  of 
genuine  life  and  solid  worth.  These  fountains  of  supply 
did  not  run  dry. 

Back  of  thy  parents  and  grandparents  lives 
The  Great  Eternal  Will.     That,  too,  is  thine 
Inheritance — strong,  beautiful,  divine; 
Sure  lever  of  success  for  one  who  tries. 

The  wealth  of  families  grows  in  stretching  out  the  hand 
for  lineage  whose  warming  blood  and  endearing  name  are 
ours  to  aid.  In  the  "world's  broad  field  of  battle''  this  love 
of  race  and  men  will  at  last  include  the  brotherhood  of 
humanity  at  large.  There  is  a  close  correspondence  in  the 
discovery  of  radium  with  its  radiating,  permeating,  illuminat- 
ing quality,  and  the  new  insight  into  Omnipotent  Love 
revealed  to  us  in  this  nature  world.  Radium  radiates  its 
powerful  heat  without  exhaustion,  we  are  told,  and  man 
may  forcefully  burn  his  life  to  a  marvelous  upliftment. 
The  quality  of  goodness  far  outweighs  the  most  brilliant 
mind,  in  illuminating  the  lives  of  men.  There  is  a  stage 
of  goodness  which  means  mastery  of  self,  and  men  unknown 
to  fame  have  sought  and  found  it.  Even  he  who  forgives 
his  brother  seventy  times  seven  becomes  the  receptacle  of 
the  fruits  of  goodness.  These  are  the  marks  of  soul-life  in 
the  world.  As  farmer,  horticulturist,  educationist,  physician, 
engineer,  scientist,  jurist,  preacher,  or  statesman,  each 
speaks  by  his  work. 

7 


HOME-MAKING  AND  ITS  PHILOSOPHY 


In  these  pages  I  am  speaking  freely  of  the  things  that 
many  persons  think  should  be  kept  veiled,  but  which  after 
all  are  a  part  of  genuine,  vitalized  life  in  the  individual. 
Should  we  not  sometimes  lift  the  curtain  of  our  souls  for 
others  to  see  what  we  are  feeling  and  thinking,  even  if  the 
act  reveals  how  many  empty  rooms  there  are  ?  The  true 
independence  in  a  life  must  proceed  from  native  forces  within. 

The  forest  life  of  our  grandfather  began  in  a  log  cabin 
when  he  was  twenty-one  years  of  age,  among  the  big  trees, 
one  hundred  and  fifteen  years  ago. 

Many  of  the  localities  where  the  scenes  in  this  book 
are  laid  bear  the  names  originally  given  by  the  early  oc- 
cupants of  this  territory,  the  Micmac  Indians,  a  tribe  who 
in  after  years  showed  great  friendliness  to  the  English. 
Appended  are  some  of  these  names,  with  their  Indian 
spelling  and  derivation. 

Micmac  Land,  Mequmaaqe:  Country  of  the  Micmacs. 
Musquodoboit,  Mooskndoboogwek:  Flowing  out  square 
and  plump. 

Upper  Musquodoboit,  Kesokwedek,  or  Archibalds' 
Mills :  The  road  runs  over  a  hill. 

Middle  Musquodoboit,  Natkamklk:  The  river  extends 
up  hill. 

Musquodoboit   River,    Amaltunik:    An   island    in  the 
mouth,  variegated  in  appearance. 
Porcupine  Den,  Pookndapskwode. 
Micmacs,  a  tribe  of  Indians  friendly  to  the  English. 


8 


CHAPTER  II 


THE  RACE  LINEAGE  IN  NOVA  SCOTIA 

TWO  BROTHERS,  near  the  ending  of  their  teens, 
in  love  with  country  life,  left  their  home  at  Truro 
and  came  to  Musquodoboit.  William  was  born 
September  19,  1774;  Samuel  Burke,  December  12,  1776. 
Their  father  was  John  Archibald,  2d,  whose  wife  was 
Margaret  Fisher.  David  Archibald  was  born  at  London- 
derry, Ireland,  and  was  the  father  of  John  Archibald,  2d. 
He  was  one  of  four  brothers  who  arrived  at  Truro,  N.  S.,  in 
1762;  namely,  David,  Samuel,  James  and  Thomas.  From 
these  descended  all  the  Archibalds  in  Nova  Scotia.  These 
four  brothers  with  others  were  the  original  grantees  of 
Truro  township,  consisting  of  eighty  thousand  acres.  At 
this  date  Samuel  was  eighteen  years  of  age.  He  and  his 
brothers  were  mill  owners  and  exporters  of  lumber.  They 
dug  a  mill-race  from  the  Salmon  River,  Truro,  half  a  mile 
long. 

The  French  had  been  deported  from  Nova  Scotia  in 
1755- 

The  Archibalds,  four  brothers  and  three  sisters  of  one 
family,  came  together  from  Londonderry  to  New  Hamp- 
shire, and  the  four  brothers  a  year  or  two  later  (in  1762) 
moved  to  Nova  Scotia.  David  Archibald  was  elected 
to  the  General  Assembly  as  a  representative  in  1766,  and 
Samuel  in  1770,  and  thereafter  continuously  until  his  death 
in  1779. 

John  Archibald,  2d,  was  the  grantee  of  the  forest  lands 
in  Musquodoboit  for  his  two  sons,  William  and  Samuel, 
where  they  began  the  making  of  farms.  These  lands  were 
distant  thirty  miles  from  Truro  and  fifty-four  miles  from 
Halifax,  the  capital  of  Nova  Scotia.    The  brothers  took 

9 


HOME-MAKING  AND  ITS  PHILOSOPHY 


their  axes  with  them  and  first  built  a  log  cabin.  They 
were  robust  young  men  and  as  the  sequel  shows  had  pluck 
and  perseverance,  and  were  not  afraid  of  work.  The 
uplands  were  heavily  wooded  and  the  river  bottoms  were 
studded  with  thickets  of  alder,  hazel,  cranberry,  wild  cherry, 
flowering  elder  and  young  elms,  in  clumps  or  hedgerows, 
as  is  their  habit.  These  young  men,  with  a  natural  love 
of  independence,  in  following  their  own  ideals,  selected 
this  picturesque  spot,  happily  made  of  mountains  softening 
into  valleys,  hills  and  plains,  with  knolls  and  intervales, 
brooks  and  river,  fine  forests  of  maple,  birch,  beech,  ash, 
elms  and  oaks,  and  other  kindred  of  the  woods.  The 
thick  undergrowth  was  as  rich  embroidery,  while  groups 
of  spruce  and  fir  emeralded  the  landscape.  There  were  a 
few  hemlocks  standing  in  the  deep  woods  with  their  great 
sheavy  pendant  boughs,  tipped  with  winter's  gold  and 
laden  with  snow,  while  mournfully  bending  in  quiet  speech, 
as  humility  graces  and  mantles  man.  Here  and  there  were 
tall  pines,  rearing  their  towering  trunks  in  kingly  majesty, 
holding  aloft  their  wavy  plumes  and  touching  a  sky  line  of 
their  own  making,  rooted  on  hillside  or  mountain  top,  sur- 
rounded by  a  family  group  of  smaller  size, — types  of  these 
men  and  their  succeeding  generations. 

Public  roads  there  were  none;  only  blazed  paths  be- 
tween the  houses  of  the  settlers.  A  loving  swain  and  his 
bride-to-be  often  sat  side  by  side  on  the  same  horse,  or 
a  married  pair  rode  to  Sabbath  service  with  the  husband 
looking  protectingly  through  the  winding  pathway,  while 
the  wife's  right  arm  clung  to  him  for  steadiness  and  con- 
fidence. 

The  clearing  of  the  land  of  trees  by  the  young  men 
in  their  bachelor  days  proceeded  hand  in  hand  with  their 
preparations  for  the  building  of  frame  houses.    The  log 

10 


THE  RACE  LINEAGE  IN  NOVA  SCOTIA 


house  stood  midway  in  a  straight  line  between  our  grand- 
father's "Red  House,"  built  later,  and  Uncle  Samuel's 
new  white  house.  Our  grand-uncle's  house  was  also  red, 
as  were  a  few  others  along  the  river.  The  cellar,  or  dug- 
out, for  storing  vegetables,  was  of  deep  interest  to  us  chil- 
dren as  we  stood  about  its  mound  and  dreamed  of  its  old 
home  associations.  Could  we  gather  now  all  the  thoughts, 
purposes,  and  plans  silently  made  beneath  the  old  home 
roof,  the  self-denials,  resolutions  and  fortitude  that  filled 
their  lives  with  hopes  and  expectations  of  easier  days  to  come, 
we  would  be  near  the  core  and  kernel  of  the  elements  which 
conduce  to  the  making  of  the  most  useful  and  noblest 
among  mankind.  Men  are  not  to  be  judged  merely  by  the 
work  they  accomplish  in  one  generation,  but  they  are  to 
be  measured  by  their  lasting  greatness. 

The  "Red  House"  sat  on  an  eminence  crowning  a 
raised  plateau,  which  sloped  around  and  gently  downward 
to  a  running  stream  and  newly-planted  willows.  On  the 
other  side  it  was  merged  by  a  double  slope  into  a  rich  and 
fertile  hollow,  rilled  with  orchard  trees  and  fringed  with 
hedges.  The  front  drive  was  a  curve  over  a  grassy  lawn,  to 
the  willows  and  the  public  way.  The  old  post  road  ran 
over  the  hills  and  mountains  to  avoid  the  wet  lowlands. 

The  level  system  of  road-making  began  about  1828 
and  was  introduced  by  Sir  James  Kempt,  Governor  of 
Nova  Scotia,  assisted  by  Mr.  George  Whitman  and  other 
scientific  men.  The  new  public  road  is  now  one  hundred 
feet  in  front  of  the  "Red  House"  and  on  a  lower  level, 
with  grades  easy  and  pleasant.  The  new  road  runs  up 
the  river  from  west  to  east,  with  the  intervales  and  river  to 
the  right,  midway  between  the  high  and  low  lands.  It 
naturally  follows  in  a  series  of  straight  and  curved  lines 
of  more  than  ordinary  engineering  beauty  well  calculated 

11 


HOME-MAKING  AND  ITS  PHILOSOPHY 


for  finest  effects  and  ease  in  travel.  The  double  curvature 
around  the  turn  from  the  "Red  House"  was  much  like 
the  letter  S,  and  ran  around  the  breast  of  a  large  hill,  along 
a  very  pretty  slope  and  dry  roadbed,  to  the  commanding 
view  of  this  unique  and  fertile  farm.  The  house  was 
always  in  view  of  these  road  curves. 

The  art  of  road-making  has  made  advances  since  that 
road  was  laid  out,  but  a  landscape  surveyor  to-day  would 
be  altogether  likely  to  adopt  the  same  picturesque  course. 
From  the  upper  turn  in  the  road  miles  of  open  view  of 
river  farms  can  be  seen,  with  stately  elms  gracing  the  rich 
lowlands.  Mixed  forests  largely  of  sugar  maple  and  beauti- 
fully green,  or  gorgeous  with  the  colorings  of  the  season, 
cover  the  mountain  side  across  the  river,  like  the  shingles 
of  a  very  slanting  roof.  In  mist  or  sunshine  these  land- 
scapes afford  a  continued  source  of  instruction  and  delight. 
Old  folklore  has  it  that  grandfather  went  with  the  road 
engineers  and  assisted  in  locating  the  highway  so  as  to 
accentuate  the  natural  beauty  of  its  surrounding  and  give 
pleasure  to  travellers  for  all  time  to  come.  This  is  what 
we  would  expect  from  him  as  we  knew  him.  He  planted 
the  roadsides  with  poplars,  royal  fir,  hawthorn  and  apple 
trees,  with  here  and  there  at  some  gate  entrance  a  willow 
or  two.  He  never  grew  weary  of  telling  the  story  of  George 
Washington's  truthfulness  regarding  the  hatchet  and  the  sin 
of  hacking  a  tree.  He  named  one  of  his  boys  George  Wash- 
ington, although  himself  a  British  subject,  and,  wonderful  to 
tell,  after  his  marriage  the  son  went  to  the  "States"  to  live 
and  was  naturalized.  It  is  hard  to  say  what  would  have 
happened  if  he  had  named  all  his  boys  for  the  great  men 
of  the  "States."  They  might  all  have  gone  to  the  land  from 
which  they  borrowed  their  names.  He  himself  was  named 
for  the  great  Edmund  Burke,  the  orator  and  statesman. 

12 


o 
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3  _2  • 


THE  RACE  LINEAGE  IN  NOVA  SCOTIA 


The  locating  of  the  house  site  is  always  a  pleasure — 
more  than  we  know  until  we  have  it  to  do.  The  raised 
plateau  was  a  tongue  of  land  running  in  the  direction  of 
the  main  post  road  and  river  and  about  thirty  feet  above 
the  level  of  the  highway.  It  was  in  form  like  the  open 
hand,  with  palm  up  and  fingers  pointing  to  the  sunny 
south.  The  grassy  slopes  were  irregular  at  the  chine  of 
the  hill  as  the  finger  tips,  and  were  wavy  curves  naturally 
planned  for  easy  gradients.  If  we  stand  erect,  as  grand- 
father always  stood,  in  the  heart  of  this  handlikeness, 
looking  across  the  road  and  river  we  will  see  to  the  right 
with  its  arm  outstretched  full  length,  the  slope  of  the  vege- 
table gardens,  and  closer  the  play-places  of  the  children, 
studded  thickly  with  trees  and  shady,  grassy  walks.  It 
was  our  Longfellow  who  wrote  that  "  it  was  strong  evi- 
dence of  goodly  character  the  thoughtfulness  one  displayed 
in  caring  for  trees."  The  trees  are  of  varying  height  and 
fruitful  capacities.  In  coming  along  the  highway  towards 
the  house  through  the  hawthorn  and  apple  hedgerows 
(the  ends  of  which  show  in  house  engraving),  the  road 
swerves  gently  into  a  modest  curve,  exposing  bright  spots 
of  red  of  the  house-end,  which  could  be  seen  through  the 
leafless  forms  of  winter  trees  and  shubbery,  or  in  graceful 
shadows  of  waving  branches  in  their  spring  and  summer 
dresses.  The  left  view,  along  the  outstretched  arm,  has 
the  fingers  pointing  to  the  two  barns  on  a  lower  level,  with 
their  cellars,  sheepfold,  wagon-house,  and  forge,  and  the 
ever  babbling  brook,  with  its  big  channel  pushed  against 
the  opposite  bank,  which  in  turn  rose  over  a  rolling  slope 
up  to  the  Annand  Farm  adjoining  us  on  the  east.  Between 
us  and  the  barns  stand  in  great  majesty  the  seven  balms 
on  the  upper  chine  and  edge  of  the  slope,  back  of  which 
the  sledded  wood  was  piled. 

13 


HOME-MAKING  AND  ITS  PHILOSOPHY 


Both  houses  sat  on  squares,  with  their  corners  indicating 
the  four  points  of  the  compass,  and  with  their  front  doors 
facing  to  the  southeast.  Great  poplars  stood  as  great 
overarching  sentinels,  holding  and  shading  the  kitchen 
entrance  and  deep  green  slopes,  where  the  summer  breezes 
were  wont  to  play  for  comfort  and  coolness.  The  trees 
touching  the  house  kept  coming  nearer,  and  the  eastern 
sun  played  with  light  through  the  open  branches,  while 
the  heat  was  left  behind.  The  porch  or  kitchen  entrance 
was  touched  with  light  and  warmth  for  a  couple  of  hours 
at  midday,  which  drew  all  dampness  to  a  wholesome  dry- 
ness. A  robin  or  two,  or  the  swallows  under  the  barn 
eaves,  in  twittering  converse  would  call  us  in  the  spring  of 
the  morning,  but  the  children  were  proof  against  their 
chirping  summons  at  that  untimely  hour.  The  hottest 
day  had  its  cool  places  inviting  to  rest,  but  duties  and  com- 
fort differed  widely. 

The  flower  garden  at  the  front  had  two  neatly  laid-out 
walks,  meeting  at  right  angles,  with  gates  to  enter.  A 
broad  terrace,  ten  feet  wide  and  two  to  three  feet  high,  ran 
the  full  length  of  the  house.  Along  its  base  were  shrubs 
and  roses,  which  half  hid  it  from  the  view  and  smothered 
it  with  blossoms.  Through  the  terrace  ran  a  neat  row  of 
giant  rhubarb,  which  caught  the  greenery  of  spring  with 
earliest  peeps  and  us  with  firstlings  of  the  sauce. 

In  early  spring,  below  the  wall  the  sun  poured  in  its 
southern  warmth  and  quickly  kindled  slumbering  life. 
The  walk  along  the  wall  stood  out  two  feet  for  a  border 
forty  feet  in  length,  planted  with  large  cabbage  roses. 
So  thick  and  full  were  they,  our  little  noses  lost  themselves 
again  and  yet  again  in  them  and  could  not  be  altogether 
satisfied,  and  many  a  one  went  to  our  breasts  to  make  us 
fragrant.    There  were  tall  phloxes,  reaching  their  spikes 

H 


THE  RACE  LINEAGE  IN  NOVA  SCOTIA 


just  over  the  neat  stone  wall  to  attract  general  notice;  like- 
wise the  larkspurs,  dahlias,  foxgloves,  Canterbury  bells, 
and  hollyhocks;  and  all  of  these  tall-stemmed  and  of  vary- 
ing heights.    Many  varied  colors  graced  the  path  and  wall. 

The  central  walk  was  margined  by  more  herbaceous 
perennials,  in  clumps  or  shortened  beds,  according  to  our 
mother's  taste.  With  object  lessons  such  as  these,  we 
learned  the  worth  of  flowers.  Variety  in  a  garden  is  the 
spice  of  life.  Mother's  direction  in  garden-making  was 
closely  followed.  How  well  I  remember  her  in  early  spring 
directing  me  and  spade  or  fork  with  loving  care.  The 
marigolds,  pansies,  bachelor  buttons,  balsams  and  sweet 
Williams  headed  the  walk,  as  I  recall  them,  in  their  smiling 
welcomes  to  the  children.  Then  followed  bluebells  of 
Scotland,  lilies,  butter  flowers,  wormwood,  poppies,  thyme, 
forget-me-nots,  lobelia,  mignonette,  heliotrope,  London 
pride,  sage,  dielytra  or  bleeding  heart,  and  columbines, 
and  between  these  we  walked  up  or  down  and  plucked 
or  regaled  at  will.  Along  the  "Red  House"  front  and 
planted  close  thereto  upon  the  terrace  wall  were  morning 
and  evening  glories  and  other  convolvulus.  The  hops 
and  honeysuckles  stood  back  behind  the  lilacs,  and,  like 
the  humming  birds,  we  often  went  to  these. 

At  the  post-road  entrance  a  well-made,  well-hinged, 
mortised  gate,  painted  plum  brown,  stood  for  forty  years. 
Outside  were  steps  which  led  down  over  a  grassy  slope 
to  the  roadside  level.  The  garden  fences  were  made 
of  pickets,  kept  upright  and  straight  as  was  our  practice 
even  if  we  had  to  right  them  in  the  mornings.  We  know 
that  grandfather  built  the  "Red  House"  about  the  time 
of  his  marriage,  as  we  know  our  barn  within  the  lawn 
was  finished  while  he  was  yet  a  bachelor.  Whatever  work 
he  did,  he  did  well. 


15 


HOME-MAKING  AND  ITS  PHILOSOPHY 


The  family  altar  was  a  cherished  institution  of  the 
ancestral  family,  and  for  centuries  the  principle  and  habit 
were  handed  down,  and  homestead  life  began  by  blessings 
overhanging  and  expected  in  the  old-time  way.  This 
altar  brings  to  view  the  principles  it  embedded  which 
shaped  their  course  and  future  in  homes  and  households 
yet  to  be.  The  morning  and  the  evening  songs,  with 
Bible  reading  and  prayer,  within  this  circle  grew,  and 
here  eleven  children  grew.  The  household  faith  may 
best  be  understood  by  the  daily  Scripture  teaching.  They 
taught  their  children  to  love  the  truth  and  training  for 
their  own  sake.  They  placed  before  their  family  the 
building  of  a  home,  and  how  to  get  the  blessing  promised. 
They  believed  and  prayed  for  a  broader  Christianity  in  a 
whole-hearted  way. 

The  work  of  the  Home  and  Foreign  Bible  Society  in 
Great  Britain  never  appealed  to  them  in  vain.  Then  the 
work  was  small  and  had  fewer  friends  than  now.  But 
they  believed  and  prayed  that  God  would  bless  His  own 
word  and  work.  In  1908  fifteen  million  copies  of  the 
Word  of  God  were  distributed  in  five  hundred  and  eighteen 
languages  and  tongues.  It  is  well  to  stop  and  think  what 
God  hath  wrought  with  the  hands  and  hearts  of  His  dis- 
ciples. Another  prayer  they  breathed  for  seventy  or  eighty 
years  was  for  the  restoration  of  the  Jews  to  their  own  loved 
land.  Visible  signs  of  fulfilment  are  nearing,  and  some  of 
us  may  live  to  see  it;  if  not  we,  our  children.  We  owe  a 
debt  of  gratitude  to  the  Jewish  people  which  we  have  not 
yet  even  tried  to  pay.  Our  people  held  a  deep  and  lasting 
sympathy  for  them  all  their  days.  Their  punishment  is 
great.  Their  loss  in  home  and  national  life  in  the  last  long 
period  is  of  tremendous  import.  God  proves  himself  to 
mankind  by  His  government  of  men. 

16 


THE  RACE  LINEAGE  IN  NOVA  SCOTIA 


Mr.  Ernest  Gordon  has  summed  up  the  interesting  and 
unique  situation  as  follows:  "The  Jews,  hated  and  starved 
in  Russia  and  Roumania;  the  Jews,  invited  to  the  Turkish 
empire  with  open  arms;  the  Jews,  organized  throughout 
the  world  to  purchase  Palestine  as  an  everlasting  possession 
of  the  Jewish  people;  the  Jews,  masters  of  international 
finance  and  influential  in  international  politics;  the  Jews, 
apparently  unable  to  colonize  elsewhere;  lastly  a  Turkish 
revolution  which  destroys  all  political  hindrances  to  Jewish 
settlement  in  Palestine,  also,  we  may  add,  the  open  recogni- 
tion by  the  Jewish  rabbi  and  scholars  that  Jesus  is  one  of 
the  greater  latter-day  prophets  whose  empire  is  the  world." 

Virgil,  who  lived  before  the  advent  of  Christ,  has  this  to 
say: 

Come  claim  thine  honors,  for  the  time  draws  nigh, 
Babe  of  immortal  race,  the  wondrous  seed  of  love, 
Lo,  at  thy  coming  how  the  starry  spheres 
Are  moved  to  trembling,  and  the  earth  below, 
And  wide-spread  seas  and  the  vault  of  heaven, 
How  all  things  joy  to  greet  the  rising  age! 

These  things  attest  the  soundness  of  the  ingrained 
beliefs  our  people  held  and  cherished  through  so  many  dec- 
ades and  centuries.  Their  souls  went  deeper  still  for 
mankind  everywhere,  and  they  prayed  that  the  time  would 
"soon  come  when  all  people  and  nations  should  bow  at  the 
feet  of  Jesus  and  'Crown  Him  Lord  of  All/  " 

We  are  in  the  heart  throbs  of  the  Laymen's  Missionary 
Movement  to  give  the  Gospel  of  Our  Lord  and  Saviour 
Jesus  Christ  by  the  middle  of  this  century  to  every  nation, 
kindred  and  tongue  upon  the  face  of  the  earth. 

Their  youngest  son,  William  A.,  was  a  Christian  phy- 
sician, a  man  of  sturdy  qualities  and  sterling  worth.  He 
was  for  years  in  doubt  as  to  a  choice  of  profession,  and  all 

*7 


HOME-MAKING  AND  ITS  PHILOSOPHT 


the  while  he  ranked  in  the  higher  types  of  Christian  gentle- 
men. The  outlook  for  his  usefulness  was  wide.  One 
year  and  a  half  after  obtaining  his  degree  at  Harvard  he 
died  at  his  brother  Samuel's  home  at  the  age  of  twenty- 
eight  years,  very  deeply  lamented.  Grandfather's  home 
was  now  left  with  three  daughters  and  seven  sons,  all  of 
whom  were  married.  These  new  homes  were  conducted 
on  the  same  moral  plane  as  their  parents'.  In  each  of  these 
homes  at  their  beginning  was  set  the  family  altar,  and  the 
record  shows  they  were  exemplary  and  useful  men  and 
women.  In  these  two  generations  were  thirty-six  daughters 
and  fifty-one  sons,  represented  in  nine  healthy  families. 

A  pen  picture  of  the  physique  of  the  Archibald  family 
in  Canada  and  the  United  States  is  as  follows:  They  are 
a  gainly  formed  race  and  are  of  full  medium  height,  and 
stand  erect  as  a  thrifty  apple  tree  even  into  old  age.  Their 
heads  are  medium  size  and  round,  shoulders  square,  arms 
long,  with  robust  muscles  and  hands  of  good  proportion; 
body  long,  with  legs  and  thighs  medium,  short  and  straight, 
with  feet  well  arched  to  support  bodies  of  full  average 
weight.  Forehead  full,  with  face  large  and  cheek-bones 
low.  Eyes  full,  clear  and  mild,  nose  prominent,  and  mouth 
medium  to  large.  Chin  short  and  round,  with  breast  full. 
Temperament  somewhat  phlegmatic,  yet  valiant  in  worthy 
attainments.  Coolness  in  deliberation  is  a  leading  char- 
acteristic. Sincerity  and  reverence  are  prominent  traits 
of  this  growing  family. 

The  nest  of  noble  qualities  our  mother  brought  to 
father's  purposes  and  life-plans  at  marriage  was  a  strong 
reinforcement  to  strengthen  the  Archibald  race  in  their 
family  possession. 

After  grandfather  and  grandmother  moved  into  the 
white  cottage  under  the  willows,  the  children  were  wel- 

18 


THE  RACE  LINEAGE  IN  NO  FA  SCOTIA 


come  at  all  hours.  Their  lives  were  very  methodical,  which 
even  the  animals  knew.  I  recall  my  father  leaving  for 
Pictou  with  our  black  mare,  and  stopping  with  a  friend, 
a  Mr.  Fraser,  at  Middle  River.  The  mare  was  put  into 
a  pasture  on  a  Friday  evening  and  on  Saturday  morning 
she  was  gone.  They  searched  all  the  day  for  her  without 
success  or  tidings.  They  agreed  to  go  to  each  of  two 
churches  on  the  Sabbath  morning  for  inquiry,  and  at  one 
of  these  they  found  Black  Bess  at  a  hitching  post  between 
two  horses  harnessed  in  their  carriages.  She  knew  it 
was  the  Sabbath  and  where  she  was  expected  to  go,  this 
being  the  mare  my  grandfather  drove  to  church  for  years, 
and  the  habit  had  told. 

We  used  to  run  into  their  pretty  white  house  to  see 
them  in  the  mornings,  and  on  Sabbath  morning  we  knew 
the  following:  catechism  awaited  us:  What  day  is  this?  — 
The  holy  Sabbath  day.  Who  made  you  ? —  God.  Who  re- 
deems you  ?  —  Jesus  Christ.  Who  sanctifies  you  r  — The 
Holy  Ghost.  For  what  end  were  you  made  ?  —  To  love  and 
serve  God.  Who  was  the  first  man:  —  Adam.  Who  was 
the  first  woman  ?  —  Eve.  Where  did  God  place  them  ?  —  In 
the  garden  of  Eden.    What  to  do  ?  —  To  keep  and  dress  it. 

Then  the  Ten  Commandments  followed,  unless  grandma 
intervened  to  say  the  boys  must  go  after  the  horses  for 
meeting,  and  so  we  were  excused  for  this  time. 

Each  of  us  had  his  little  world  of  thoughts  as  the  little 
seeds  were  sown,  in  all  the  moods  and  tones  of  budding; 
soul  life.  Though  we  felt  the  pulsations  we,  of  course, 
did  not  understand  them.  Rays  of  vision  sought  us  in 
those  sweet,  mellow  years,  and  the  artist's  alternating  light 
and  shade  made  prints  and  pictures  upon  the  minds  and 
characters  of  the  girls  and  boys  for  our  lasting  good,  even 
to  the  latest  years. 

19 


HOME-MAKING  AND  ITS  PHILOSOPHY 


It  was  on  a  large  bearskin  robe  that,  after  dinner, 
grandfather  lay  before  the  open  fireplace  and  took  his 
religious  siesta,  and  all  was  quiet.  Grandmother  was  ever 
the  good  friend  of  the  children  in  little  loving  ways,  but  I 
noticed  that  as  our  grandparents  grew  aged  they  lived 
more  quietly,  and  let  go,  in  a  measure,  the  things  which 
formerly  gripped  them  so.  From  early  recollections  they 
came  into  our  consciousness,  and  they  still  are  lingering 
there. 

Our  grandfather  sold  half  of  his  west  acreage  to  out- 
siders, a  few  years  earlier,  and  divided  the  remaining  half 
with  his  sons  Wallace  and  Samuel,  for  which  they  paid  an 
annuity  in  produce  and  cash  as  long  as  the  old  folks  lived. 
To  our  Uncle  Samuel  was  apportioned  the  western  half, 
on  which  was  a  large  barn.  Our  father  and  mother  at 
marriage  began  home-making  in  the  "Red  House,"  so 
long  their  home,  with  a  store  of  tender  associations,  which 
continued  to  deepen  to  the  end  of  life.  The  white  house 
in  the  willows  on  the  knoll  overlooked  the  broad  and  wind- 
ing glen  with  its  brook  and  coves,  where  the  sheep  and 
cattle  grazed  and  rested  in  the  shade.  The  front  entrance 
of  their  house  was  through  a  portico,  and  the  children 
and  all  friends  entered  that  way.  The  door  usually  stood 
open  in  fine  days  and  had  a  very  inviting  look.  It  was  a 
pretty  site,  with  cosy,  sunny  spots  everywhere  in  view. 
We  used  to  love  to  sit  on  the  front  steps  and  look  through 
the  trees.  Many  and  many  a  Sabbath  afternoon  of  the 
long  summer  days,  with  book  in  hand,  we  leisurely  wended 
our  way  up  the  glen  to  read  or  rest  or  sleep  in  the  shade 
of  the  banks.  Over  the  brook  opposite,  on  our  level, 
stood  a  row  of  apple  trees,  following  the  zigzag  windings 
of  the  glen  banks,  carpeted  in  the  richest  greenery  all  the 
spring  and  summer  and  autumn.    The  sheep  cropped  it 

20 


THE  RACE  LINEAGE  IN  NOVA  SCOTIA 


as  short  as  a  clipped  lawn,  while  the  lambs  frolicked  and 
gamboled  down  its  paths  and  along  the  chines  of  the  bank 
above.  The  tops  of  the  apple  trees  reached  the  table-land, 
while  their  trunks  and  blossoms  nestled  in  their  home 
retreats  to  draw  or  waft  us  all  into  their  orbit  of  beauty. 

When  the  brook  was  full  it  mirrored  the  enlarging 
scene,  and  the  trout  and  minnows  glided  here  and  there 
and  flashed  a  light  of  silver  at  our  approach.  The  pikes, 
kingfishers  and  sand  peeps  came  quickly,  too,  after  heavy 
rains.  Of  course  they  loved  their  freedom,  as  well  as  we, 
from  cares  or  worries,  as  in  the  happy  days  of  youth.  Some- 
times the  kingfishers  seized  the  pikes,  and  death  was  almost 
certain.  It  was  a  sweet  spot,  protected  from  winds,  and 
the  first  blades  of  spring  showed  there.  Moreover  the 
fine  foliage  of  the  apple  trees  gave  a  special  charm  to  the 
scene,  and  brought  thoughts  of  fruitage  days  in  autumn. 
All  these  dreams  and  visions  were  natural  and  rational, 
and  were  a  source  of  happiness,  a  supply  of  which  we 
were  storing  up,  like  the  bees  in  summer  for  colder  winter 
days. 

The  old  garden  and  orchard  went  with  the  low  "Red 
House"  to  us,  but  grandfather  reserved  a  pretty  level 
square  with  fruit  trees  on  the  sides,  and  it  was  but  a  little 
while  until  the  grounds  on  all  sides  were  planted  with 
flowering  mints,  poppies,  onions,  cives  and  vegetables  of 
every  edible  class.  Gooseberries  and  currants  fringed  the 
margin,  and  roses  the  border  about  the  house.  Grand- 
mother was  a  great  fruit  gatherer  and  every  year  made  the 
first  fruit  pies,  and  we  children  ate  them.  Grandfather 
was  a  natural  horticulturist,  which  correctly  interpreted 
means  an  advanced  agriculturist  loving  the  beautiful. 
The  work  of  horticulture  is  more  complex  and  requires 
greater  skill  than  simple  farming. 


HOME-MAKING  AND  ITS  PHILOSOPHY 


His  garden  stood  a  few  feet  higher  up  the  hill  than  the 
"Red  House/'  and  partly  between  the  two  houses,  so  that 
the  pathway  led  us  around  the  square  and  the  picket  fence 
which  raised  it  to  the  dignity  and  name  of  garden.  It 
was  the  outside  furnishing  of  the  home.  From  the  middle 
walk  was  the  best  perspective,  and  both  houses  were  in  the 
eye.  In  those  days  the  garden  was  regarded  as  the  neces- 
sary adjunct  of  every  home.  The  homes  in  the  country 
to-day  have  rather  lost  ground,  compared  with  those  of 
the  pioneers.  It  is  to  be  regretted  that  this  is  so.  Can  it 
be  that  the  appreciation  for  flowers  is  declining,  or  does 
the  strenuous  life  the  farmer  is  now  leading,  with  new  and 
unheard-of  expenses  and  demands,  leave  him  with  in- 
sufficient time  and  means  to  cultivate  and  satisfy  his  artistic 
nature  ? 

The  artificial  life  of  woman  tends  to  this  degeneracy. 
It  is  true,  wealth  has  been  lavished  freely  on  vain  displays. 
The  spirit  of  these  times  attaches  more  value  to  the  arti- 
ficial and  fictitious  than  to  the  real  and  the  natural.  Those 
who  suffer  most  are  our  wives  and  daughters.  The  love 
of  display  and  show  is  building  life  on  a  shallow  plane. 
The  deepest  affections  of  our  daughters  are  dwarfed,  and 
goodness  itself  is  weakened  in  them.  These  lives  of  highest 
value  to  our  race  are  being  prejudiced  and  warped  by 
false  ideals;  and  the  deep-seated  love  of  our  mothers,  who 
would  have  died  for  their  children,  is  being  usurped  to-day 
by  their  successors  who  affect  to  believe  their  individual 
freedom  and  light  opinion  are  of  greater  value  to  themselves 
than  family  stability  and  goodness.  In  the  place  of  the 
fine  spirit  and  good  judgment  of  our  mothers  towards 
their  husbands  and  their  children  is  seen  the  growing  spirit 
of  increasing  display,  and  that,  too,  at  the  expense  of  nobler 
things.    The  family  and  nation  greatly  need  that  deeper, 

22 


■Si 

co  +-1 

>  ~ 


JO  ~ 


O  E 


-2 


s  — 

c  c 

O 


a-  c 

i_i  o 


cu  o 

"  CO 

- 


Q  PQ 


THE  RACE  LINEAGE  IN  NO  FA  SCOTIA 


finer,  innate  sense  of  the  soul,  receiving  God's  counte- 
nance and  sweetest  expression  in  the  moral  and  spiritual 
nature  of  woman.  The  great  need  is  the  re-enthrone- 
ment of  pure  basic  principles  buttressing  family  life,  to 
prepare  the  way  for  national  development  and  lasting 
greatness.  This  can  spring  only  from  a  true  perception 
of  the  rightness  of  things,  and  is  more  important  than 
popularity.    Self-will  must  give  way  to  the  law  of  love. 

Grandfather  was  called  "the  bishop  of  the  country- 
side" because,  I  suppose,  of  his  natural  leadership  in  re- 
ligious life  and  moral  influence.  Every  one  knew  where 
to  find  him  on  every  question.  He  was  superintendent 
of  the  Sabbath  school  from  our  early  recollections,  although, 
of  course,  there  were  others  who  often  filled  the  office. 
The  community  was  strongly  Presbyterian  with  only  a  few 
families  of  Baptists,  of  which  grandfather  and  grand- 
mother were  in  the  lead.  They  were  members  of  the 
Baptist  church  in  Stewiacke  Village,  seven  miles  distant. 
They  were  constant  church-goers,  first  to  their  own  and 
then  to  others.  Grandfather  was  free  or  open  communion- 
ist,  and  partook  of  the  sacrament  of  the  Lord's  supper 
with  the  Presbyterians  and  Methodists  who  extended 
invitations  to  all  Christians.  There  are  many  mansions 
in  our  Father's  house  above,  which  also  is  true  in  lives 
and  places  here  below.  "The  love  of  God  is  broader 
than  the  measure  of  man's  mind." 


23 


CHAPTER  III 


OUR  FAMILY  CIRCLE 

FATHER  was  by  nature  a  gentleman,  made  stronger 
by  God's  gentleness,  even  tempered,  courteous, 
bearing  truth  with  prudential  courage.  "  Pru- 
dent "  was  a  favorite  word  with  mother.  Whether  father 
ever  told  a  lie  when  a  boy  we  do  not  know.  He  had  dis- 
ciplined his  mind  in  the  arts  of  peace.  His  spirit  was 
pure  as  a  child's,  as  we  saw  him  then  and  as  we  think  of 
him  now.  While  he  talked  to  us,  assembled  in  family 
circle  on  a  Sabbath  evening,  about  life  and  death,  mother 
sitting  there  with  the  youngest  on  her  lap  and  uniting 
her  thoughts  with  father's,  we  felt  they  were  always  pre- 
pared for  heaven.  In  the  opening  dawn  of  manhood  his 
heart  was  susceptible  to  good  impressions.  In  affection- 
ate, mild,  persuasive  tones  and  ways,  with  a  firmness  that 
ever  carried  conviction,  he  spoke  of  the  necessity  of  obedi- 
ence to  truth  and  uprightness,  and  made  us  feel  that  such 
must  be,  or  should  be,  first  and  paramount  to  all  else. 
He  held  that  the  essential  elements  of  true  character  were 
inborn,  as  honesty,  sincerity,  integrity,  reverence. 

First,  we  must  be  honest  with  God  before  we  could 
in  the  true  sense  be  honest  with  man — before  we  could 
act  from  motives  on  the  plane  that  God  demands  of  us. 
Endowed  with  a  noble  inheritance  of  self-control,  his  nature 
broadened  and  deepened  and  he  grew  in  strength  and 
nobility,  and  this  by  the  traditional  faith  handed  down 
along  ancestral  lines.  I  cannot  recall  a  single  instance 
where  anger  mastered  him.  I  have  seen  him  show  the 
spirit  of  indignation,  but  in  a  thoughtful,  deliberate  man- 
ner, which  would  take  some  time  to  work  itself  away. 
In  his  plans  of  life  in  business  matters,  if  losses  followed 

24 


OUR  FAMILY  CIRCLE 


he  usually  said,  "Well,  we  did  it  for  the  best."  He  be- 
lieved men  were  like  ores  which  have  to  be  tested  and 
refined.  The  great  Master  said:  "I  see  no  best  in  kind, 
but  in  degree;  I  gave  various  talents  to  each,  to  charm, 
to  strengthen  and  to  teach."  The  purpose  of  this  book 
is  to  set  in  interesting  outline  pictures  taken  from  real 
home  life,  and  which  are  ever  subject  to  review,  in  order 
to  test  their  power  and  permanency.  They  will  stand 
for  illustrations  of  solidity  to  all  the  families  and  races 
and  names  of  men.  This  is  a  peaceful  work  for  all  men, 
to  promote  in  them  higher  ideals  in  the  Kingdom  of  Right- 
eousness. The  golden  text  in  the  lesson  of  father's  life 
was  a  living,  conscientious  conviction.  His  was  a  right- 
down  faithfulness  to  the  admonitions  of  conscience,  with 
steadiness  and  courage  that  lasted  him  through  life.  Ven- 
eration and  adoration  of  the  Deity  held  a  very  high  place 
in  his  soul.  Kindness  and  good  will  flowed  like  a  peren- 
nial stream  that  kept  the  sympathies  of  family  life  warm 
and  tender. 

The  late  Phillips  Brooks  said,  "No  man  has  come  to 
true  greatness  who  has  not  felt  in  some  degree  that  his 
life  belongs  to  his  race,  and  that  what  God  gave  him  he 
gave  him  for  mankind."  Such  greatness  is  as  effective  in 
the  lowly  walks  of  life  as  in  those  places  which  men  classify 
as  high  and  great.  A  Christian  home  is  the  best  and  finest 
product  of  our  civilization.  How  well  we  remember  lean- 
ing against  father's  knees  as  we  grew  older,  charmed  by  his 
converse  with  a  friend  or  neighbor.  His  neighbors  must 
have  been  all  the  better  for  their  talk  with  him.  His  motives 
were  apparent  and  his  manner  never  intrusive.  In  mat- 
ters of  opinion  he  was  fair-minded.  To  our  parents  we 
owe  our  fondness  for  reading  and  our  knowledge  of  the 
Bible. 

25 


HOME-MAKING  AND  ITS  PHILOSOPHY 


In  educational  and  progressive  subjects  he  was  ever 
ready  by  reasonable  means  to  employ  the  best  and  most 
efficient  teachers  in  order  to  raise  the  standard  of  the  dis- 
trict school  to  the  first  rank.  He  took  great  satisfaction 
in  its  growth  and  attainments.  When  the  new  school- 
house  was  in  prospect  and  the  grade  of  the  teachers  to  be 
employed  was  considered,  he  kept  in  view  the  greatest 
good  to  the  greatest  number,  and  did  much  to  place  this 
school  beyond  question  in  the  front  rank  among  those  of 
rural  Halifax.  The  community  found  father  and  mother 
warming  with  enthusiasm  at  the  district's  growth  and 
at  the  school's  advance.  This  example  was  contagious, 
and  these  were  the  days  of  a  general  advance  all  along 
the  Valley,  about  1850  to  i860. 

Soon  after  came  the  new  School  Act  in  1864,  which 
placed  the  Province  of  Nova  Scotia  in  educational  mat- 
ters on  a  level  with  the  best  system  of  that  day  on  the  con- 
tinent. This  act  was  framed  and  introduced  into  Parlia- 
ment by  the  Hon.  Dr.  Charles  Tupper,  then  premier  of 
the  Province  of  Nova  Scotia,  now  Hon.  Sir  Charles  Tup- 
per, Bart,  of  Armsdale,  Halifax,  Nova  Scotia,  K.C.M.G., 
LL.D.  This  act  of  Dr.  Tupper  gave  his  Province  lasting 
honor.  Father  gave  his  hearty  support  to  this  measure, 
although  it  met  strong  opposition. 

"Beauty  leading  youth  to  the  family  shrine  is  no  fable 
in  the  world's  history  and  there  is  no  reason  why  in  Nova 
Scotia  it  may  not  be  amply  realized,"  said  Joseph  Howe. 

Our  mother  was  the  beloved  daughter  of  a  Baptist 
clergyman,  whose  itinerancy  was  in  Nova  Scotia  and  Cape 
Breton.  She  was  a  pretty  girl  and  a  very  graceful  woman. 
She  was  slightly  below  medium  height,  finely  featured 
and  intellectual.  Her  refining  spirit  and  easy  movements 
were  like  soft  waves  of  light.    Her  interesting  personality 

26 


OUR  FAMILY  CIRCLE 


inspirited  the  home.  She  possessed  a  happy  ambition 
for  improvement  and  in  each  department  of  both  indoor 
and  garden  life  she  was  the  guide  and  inspiration.  Her 
spirited  ideals  reached  us  in  song  arid  story,  and  we  grew 
to  think  of  things  beyond  our  vision.  She  was  most  lovable 
in  her  home.  She  was  a  visitor  at  grandmother's  on  the 
preaching  tours  her  father  was  making  in  his  group  of  small 
churches,  and  the  friendship  grew  between  both  families. 

My  eldest  sister  Harriet  writes:  "  Grandmother  Archi- 
bald took  a  special  liking  to  mother  when  a  little  girl  of 
nine  years  of  age  and  wished  so  much  to  take  her  as  her 
own  that  her  father,  Rev.  George  Richardson,  who  was 
the  Baptist  pastor  in  Lower  Stewiacke,  realizing  no  doubt 
that  greater  advantages  would  come  to  his  daughter  than 
a  moving  minister  with  a  large  family  to  provide  for  would 
be  able  to  give,  and  as  all  the  parties  thereto  agreed,  the 
adoption  took  place." 

It  transpired  that  two  brothers  were  rivals  for  her  hand 
and  the  years  of  ripening  affection  at  last  called  for  her 
personal  decision  involving  the  heart's  affections,  and 
Wallace  was  estimated  in  the  setting.  The  other  brother 
soon  after  left  the  homestead  to  seek  his  fortune  elsewhere, 
and  also  happily  married. 

Such  are  the  ventures  in  life,  and  we  ask,  who  decides 
them  for  us  ?  Imagination  emancipates  us  from  the  pres- 
ent; without  it  people  would  remain  without  pictures  of 
situations.  Aspirations  spur  us  to  advance.  Mankind 
takes  infinite  pleasure  in  changes  which  lead  on  to  char- 
acter; and  if  it  embeds  itself  in  enduring  principle  we  have 
the  finest  and  sweetest  fields  for  goodness  and  love.  In 
strong  contrast  to  this  are  the  self-will  and  thin,  colorless 
thought  where  appearance,  display  and  evanescent  vapors 
of  life  fill  the  youthful  mind.    A  reputation  made  without 

27 


HOME-MAKING  AND  ITS  PHILOSOPHT 


manna  is  built  on  thin  veneer.  The  unhappy  homes  of  the 
world  have  their  beginning  here — in  the  want  of  conscious 
anchorage  in  what  is  right. 

Says  an  eminent  judge:  "There  is  no  reason  why  the 
home  should  be  destroyed.  It  is  contrary  to  sound  public 
policy  to  tolerate  separations.  The  suffering  party  must 
bear  in  some  degree  the  consequences  by  prudent  con- 
ciliation or  bear  in  silence.  The  world  depends  upon 
its  virtues.  There  may  be  much  unhappiness  in  it  which 
human  laws  cannot  undertake  to  remove."  Men  of  power 
and  of  the  highest  character  and  men  everywhere  should 
not  be  set  backwards  to  measure  the  distance  mankind 
has  already  travelled  along  this  dangerous  highway.  The 
larger  view  of  life  is  emphasized  in  the  sacredness  of  human 
pledges  of  love,  and  only  the  sovereign  power  of  religion 
can  meet  the  social  inequalities  and  other  diversities  in 
early  life,  as  well  as  the  later  years  of  home-making.  The 
heart  is  the  great  reservoir  of  feeling. 

Our  mother  had  love  and  helpful  sympathy  for  every 
joy  and  every  sorrow,  with  a  finely  administrative  judg- 
ment to  meet  each  case  and  every  need. 

Her  life  was  a  full  nest  of  sweet,  useful  thoughts  and 
faithful  sayings,  which  moderate  comforts  and  cares  of  fam- 
ily could  not  disturb  or  weaken  to  the  close  of  her  useful 
life.  Her  refined  tones  in  lullaby  melodies  sank  into  our 
soul's  deepest  silence  to  awaken  responses.  Her  musical 
tastes  had  strength  and  accuracy  in  intuitional  teaching 
and  found  a  source  of  enjoyment  in  contemplation.  The 
notes  of  song  in  babyhood  are  the  notes  of  age,  sung  in 
octaves.  She  let  down  into  the  seed-plots  of  our  infant 
souls  sweet,  soothing  strains  from  her  own  soul's  musical 
memories  that  still  sing  themselves  in  their  unbidden  way, — 
precious  memories  of  our  precious  mother.    Her  literary 

28 


OUR  FAMILY  CIRCLE 


tastes  were  naturally  poetical,  her  sentences  enwrapped  a 
rhythm  of  poetic  feeling  which  is  still  humming  to  us.  Her 
language  was  adapted  to  her  refining  thoughts.  Her 
thoughts  compassed  all  our  needs  and  were  expressed 
in  few  words  which  proved  that  she  lived  amid  a  wealth 
of  rich  natural  beauty,  and  this  contributed  its  quota  to 
a  mind  searching  for  the  useful  and  the  best.  A  fine, 
delicate  sensitiveness  was  always  present,  and  never  for  a 
moment  did  we  see  her  without  it.  It  encircled  her  per- 
sonality with  a  sweetness  of  manner  and  drew  others  like- 
minded  to  her. 

Her  life  had  its  daily  round  of  duties,  tiring  and  wearing. 
She  dressed  with  taste,  but  her  thoughts  went  deeper  than 
trivialities.  She  longed  for  a  home  with  more  convenient 
appointments,  but  would  not  unreasonably  incur  debts 
the  farm  could  not  afford.  Her  knowledge  and  interest 
in  business  related  to  the  home,  and  was  ever  a  factor  in 
getting  and  doing.  As  a  mother  she  ever  held  the  honor 
and  dignity  of  safeguarding  the  internal  arrangements 
of  the  home  without  question.  Father's  and  mother's 
dignity  of  purpose  in  the  home  was  the  ruling  note.  Their 
cheerfulness  and  simplicity  of  Christian  characters  were 
perennial.  They  never  lived  beyond  their  means,  as  that 
was  held  to  be  destructive  of  home  ideals.  Better  is  real 
character,  plainly  showing  on  its  face  and  speaking  plainly 
of  moderate  means  and  moderate  comforts.  This  is  ex- 
emplary and  attractive. 

Mother's  grasp  of  affairs  and  sympathetic  discussions 
were  conducted  with  ability.  The  effect  of  the  home  influ- 
ence was  to  saturate  the  senses  with  the  virtue  of  Christ's 
blood.  Our  parents  held  to  a  firm  hope  in  the  beyond, 
and  their  instruction  was  that  we  must  feel  deeply  before 
we  can  think  keenly. 

29 


HOME-MAKING  AND  ITS  PHILOSOPHY 


How  often  in  childhood  in  the  hours  of  slumber  have 
we  heard  our  mother's  sleepless  spirit  breathing  and  plead- 
ing for  the  very  conscious  presence  and  power  and  peace 
of  the  Soul  of  All,  to  commune  with  herself  afresh  in  the 
deep  silences  of  the  darkness,  and  invoke  blessings  on 
the  children  and  the  home,  and  to  fill  it  with  wisdom  and 
love.  In  these  quiet  hours  were  ladders,  great  and  small, 
reaching  from  home  to  heaven,  and  over  the  rounds  our 
little  souls  went  round  by  round  as  mother  led  the  way 
in  the  darkness,  with  our  little  hands  in  hers.  We  followed 
the  magnetic  touch  which  remains  in  our  visions  still. 
"I  cannot  let  thee  go  except  thou  bless  me" — even  me. 
In  the  lowly  soul's  sorest  need  the  deeper  sense  of  desired 
blessing  comes  and  her  finely  featured  face  shone  the  next 
day  as  if  it  were  the  face  of  an  angel.  The  supreme  knowl- 
edge of  the  influence  and  possession  of  this  higher  love 
that  brightened  and  quickened  the  soul's  power  into  a 
beautiful  radiance  within  its  sphere  left  a  fine  impress 
upon  us  and  the  home.  This  belief  in  soul-communion 
with  Him  and  with  each  other  is  the  very  nerve  of  our 
life  here  and  hereafter.  Plain,  honest  people  who  think 
for  themselves  prove  day  by  day  their  communion  with 
God.  Idea  of  distance  does  not  enter  into  it  at  all.  We 
may  be  in  as  close  sympathy  with  our  friend  in  California 
as  with  one  at  home.  A  knowledge  of  the  works  of  God 
and  their  science  are  friendly  aids  to  Christianity,  and 
the  open  book  of  nature  is  a  means  of  grace  to  exchange 
harmonious  ideas  livid  with  the  benignity  of  our  Creator. 
There  is  a  sense  beauty  and  there  is  a  beauty  of  the  soul 
which  meet  and  touch  in  the  realm  of  wisdom  and  are 
united  by  the  hand  of  our  wise  Creator. 

The  measure  of  a  man  or  woman  is  only  seen  in  Christ 
Jesus  in  tenderness,  generosity,  stability,  and  devotion. 

3° 


OUR  FAMILY  CIRCLE 


As  I  write  I  think  of  personal  acts  of  disobedience,  or  failure 
to  accede  to  reasonable  requests  as  a  loving  duty,  because 
that  inward  sense  of  obligation  was  not  as  strong  as  it  might 
have  been.  It  was  in  small  things,  but  they  pain  me  more 
than  I  can  here  express.  Father  and  mother  are  near 
us  now.  I  see  their  faces  and  hear  their  voices  in  mellow- 
ing sweetness,  and  the  nearer  they  come  into  mv  spiritual 
vision  the  more  keenly  I  feel  the  pain  of  past  neglect.  We 
expect  to  meet  them  in  their  happy  land  and  that  hope 
mitigates  our  pain.  When  we  meet,  the  joy  will  swallow 
up  all  regrets  in  a  purer  life  than  this,  in  the  presence  of 
the  angels  of  God,  rejoicing  that  we  are  made  worthy  through 
the  blood  of  our  dear  Saviour,  who  died  for  sinners  to  give 
new  powers  and  activities  unfolded  in  His  great  design. 
Heaven  is  to  be  our  home  and  our  pains  here  will  not  be 
remembered.  It  is  well  for  us  to  get  dangerously  near 
seeing  our  dearest  friends  over  the  river.  It  is  well  to  be 
sorry  for  every  act  which  compels  us  to  ask  forgiveness  of 
God.  "His  spirit  beareth  witness  with  our  spirit,  that  we 
are  the  children  of  God/5 


3r 


CHAPTER  IV 


A  COMPREHENSIVE  SITUATION 

THE  "Red  House"  location  was  a  commanding  one, 
just  where  we  would  expect  grandfather  to  place 
it.  They  were  "looking-ahead"  people  and  pros- 
perous. Standing  on  the  large  flat  stones  on  the  walled 
terrace  at  the  front  door,  looking  outward  from  the  right 
to  the  left  corners  of  the  house,  one  could  see  at  the  foot 
of  the  stone  wall,  a  house  length  apart,  two  of  the  spired 
poplars.  The  first  one  was  grown  from  a  rod  used  in 
driving  and  afterwards  stuck  in  the  garden,  where  it  grew 
rapidly,  and  reached  in  our  day  seventy-five  feet  in  height. 
It  is  now  known  as  Bolles  poplar,  and  its  native  place  is 
Turkestan.  The  other  tree  was  planted  later  from  a 
cutting,  and  these  were  the  only  two  of  this  variety  on  the 
farm.  It  is  easy  to  believe  that  the  spires  of  our  churches 
found  their  model  in  this  tree. 

Looking  across  the  highway  to  the  right  stood  about 
fifty  Lombardy  poplars,  running  back  and  down  the  road. 
These  interesting  trees  are  tall  and  grand,  and  our  prospect 
was  bounded  by  them.    They  are  natives  of  Italy. 

On  this  lovely  eminence  we  seem  to  be  standing  before 
a  mammoth  oval  mirror.  In  the  foreground  are  the  flower 
gardens  and  walks,  tall  trees  to  the  right  and  to  the  left, 
with  their  dark  green  foliage  tremulous  in  the  breeze;  the 
highway  lined  with  board  fencing  on  either  side,  dressed 
in  white;  the  double  hedges  of  golden  willow  lining  the 
noisy  brook  down  to  the  river  bank,  the  band  of  water 
sparkling  in  the  light;  the  green  intervales  lying  low  and 
rich  beyond;  the  rising  upland  and  orchards  close  to  the 
maple  grove;  the  broad  new  lands  father  had  cleared  and 
combed  away  up  the  mountain  side  for  fuel,  until  a  level 

32 


A  COMPREHENSIVE  SITUATION 


resting-place  was  found  upon  its  shoulders  and  lofty  brow; 
the  raspberry  garden  in  the  mirror,  well  laden  with  rich 
red  fruit,  opposite  our  mouths;  with  the  glen  and  coldest 
spring  of  water  at  its  center.  This  view  and  prospect 
extended  over  and  beyond  a  great  natural  park  and  pos- 
sessed the  ideals  for  an  extensive  farm  and  beautiful  country 
seat. 

The  seed  grows  the  plant,  and  the  plant  owes  its  life 
as  long  as  it  lives  to  the  seed.  The  centuries  bring  the 
generations.  The  sower  is  not  always  the  reaper.  God 
will  gather  in  His  own. 

We  have  the  happy  assurance  that  our  personality  is 
not  a  dream.  Our  sense  attests  the  truth.  The  touch 
of  warm  hands  in  affectionate  clasp  is  a  reality.  It  was 
no  accident  that  a  wholesome  home  was  planted  by  the 
singing  waters  and  willows  of  gold.  Along  its  stream  we 
wandered,  where  no  banks  appeared,  only  tangles  of  shrubs 
and  vines  in  watery  reflections  above  the  river  bridge;  or 
waded  the  gravelly  bottom,  to  feel  the  cool  waves  upon  our 
heated  feet.  Can  we  forget  the  wind  waves  of  sunlight 
sweeping  across  the  rustling  grass,  and  the  silken  blades 
of  gilded  grains  in  the  race  with  the  white,  fleecy  clouds  of 
the  sky  ?  Or  the  sunrise  and  sunset  coming  and  going 
softly  as  the  breaths  of  little  children,  in  their  deep,  sugges- 
tive silence,  as  rosy  memories  of  golden  chariots  afloat  ? 

Father  was  a  Conservative  in  politics,  with  a  strong 
desire  for  justice  and  fair  play.  His  opinion  was  that  a 
people  should  be  judged  in  part  by  the  character  of  their 
public  men — not  merely  by  their  ability,  but  as  well  by 
their  ideals  and  realizing  measures.  Their  attitude  in 
private  life  had  much  to  do  with  fitness  for  public  service. 

In  1843  father  left  the  Liberal  party  in  Nova  Scotia, 
of  which  Hon.  Joseph  Howe  was  then  leader.    This  change 

33 


HOME-MAKING  AND  ITS  PHILOSOPHY 


of  allegiance  was  caused  by  Mr.  Howe's  attitude  on  the 
university  question;  Howe  resolutely  advocated  the  with- 
drawal of  all  government  aid  from  the  existing  colleges, 
and  the  centering  of  one  government  grant  upon  a  State 
University  for  the  Province.  He  held  that  a  much  larger 
and  better  equipped  university  could  thus  be  established, 
and  at  less  cost.  With  this  view  father  so  far  agreed,  but 
when  Mr.  Howe  said,  "We  saw  the  sectarian  system  was 
poisoning  social  and  public  life,"  father  strenuously  dis- 
sented, and  argued  that  the  churches  needed  an  educated 
ministry,  trained  in  Christian  colleges,  abreast  in  privileges 
with  any  college  in  the  land.  He  held  that  no  evils,  such 
as  Mr.  Howe  complained  of,  in  an  educational  system 
which  was  grounded  in  a  people  could  be  finally  settled 
by  suppression,  and  that  Christian  manhood  in  these 
Provinces  was  higher  than  in  Europe  where  State  Uni- 
versities were  maintained.  Hon.  J.  W.  Johnson,  leader 
of  the  opposition  in  Parliament,  fought  for  denominational 
colleges  and  won  the  day.  Mr.  Johnson's  views  on  this 
university  question  appealed  to  father,  and  on  this  prin- 
ciple he  decided  his  course  and  supported  Mr.  Johnson, 
continuing  to  do  so  to  the  end  of  life. 

His  punctuality  in  payment  of  liabilities  was  widely 
known,  and  his  word  or  promise  was  as  current  as  his  coin. 
As  a  neighbor,  no  needy  one  went  away  empty.  To  accom- 
modate others  in  the  little  things  of  life  he  would  deny 
himself,  and  this  remembrance  is  still  sweet  incense  and 
without  a  sting.  His  life  was  successful  when  measured 
by  his  chosen  standard  in  yielding  service  to  humanity. 
The  spirit  of  the  home  was  felt  in  the  harmony  of  its  sur- 
roundings with  nature  as  the  bountiful  supplier.  In- 
dustry was  taught  and  practised  as  a  virtue;  they  had  no 
money  in  banks  or  mortgages.    There  was  always  time 

34 


A  COMPREHENSIVE  SITUATION 


to  talk  over  things  vital  to  life.  How  in  contrast  with  the 
hurried,  nervous,  rushing,  money  spirit  of  to-day!  All 
this  rush  and  flurry  without  thought  and  judgment  is  not 
progress;  nor  are  the  artificial,  complex  and  distracting 
customs  we  call  civilization.  Men  must  take  more  time 
for  reflection,  rest  of  spirit  and  meditation,  if  they  would 
grow  in  Christian  manhood.  It  is  good  to  lose  ourselves 
in  visions  of  noble  purpose  before  we  go  into  the  larger  life 
so  soon  to  be  ours. 

The  farmer's  life  is  pre-eminently  adapted  to  man  for 
his  natural  freedom,  fullest  development,  noblest  manhood 
and  highest  service.  All  other  avenues  of  life-work  are 
more  artificial,  and  inherently  tend  towards  a  stale  degen- 
eracy, while  freshness  in  life  is  kept  by  the  soil  touch. 

Could  the  agriculturist  at  once  secure  equal  rights, 
equal  training,  and  justice  with  the  privileged  and  ruling 
classes,  there  would  be  an  immediate  reversal  of  present 
conditions.  The  degeneracy  of  cities  is  now  more  than 
over-balanced  by  the  uplift  of  the  farmers'  sons. 

We  never  knew  father  to  find  fault  with  the  weather. 
There  was  no  self-assertion  in  his  bearing,  but  strength 
implied.  Every  day  was  beautiful,  and  although  a  rain 
storm  would  be  rough  to  drive  in,  "It  was  a  good  rain,"  or 
"a  hot  day."  To  this  day  none  of  us  ever  say,  "a  nasty, 
ugly  storm,"  be  it  rain  or  snow  or  wind.  It  is  worse  than 
wicked  to  find  fault  with  Providence.  It  establishes  a 
habit. 

The  distinctive  note  in  his  life,  that  sounded  harmo- 
niously within  his  sphere,  was  one  of  consistency  and  per- 
sistence to  the  end.  There  was  a  sensitive  pride  in  family 
conduct,  that  was  zealously  guarded  for  the  sake  of  an 
honored  past.  We  prized  the  necessities  of  the  present, 
and  the  legacy  we  must  leave.    The  generations  of  Archi- 

35 


HOME-MAKING  AND  ITS  PHILOSOPHY 


balds  in  Nova  Scotia  were  sober,  plain  people.  They 
were  considerate  and  deliberate  in  judgment.  They  were 
inclined  to  quiet  contemplation  that  leaves  no  bitterness 
behind  it. 

The  business  of  farming  gives  a  certain  poise  of  mind 
and  habit  pleasant  to  experience,  and  a  tranquil  confidence 
in  the  world  of  matter  and  in  people; — the  birds  and  green 
fields  soften  the  asperities  of  life.  We  were  taught  to 
respect  older  people  and  revere  age,  replying  "Yes,  sir," 
and  "No,  sir,"  "Thank  you,"  etc. 

The  children  were  not  over  elastic  or  flexible  in  dis- 
position, but  the  will  of  the  majority  evenly  ruled.  We 
were  taught  to  make  ourselves  the  friends  and  protectors 
of  the  birds  who  built  their  nests  on  the  ledges  of  the  build- 
ings, in  the  garden  bushes  and  orchard  trees,  or  in  the 
hedgerows  and  fields.  The  free-flying  birds  which  nest 
about  the  farmer  do  so  for  protection,  and  sing  joyously 
with  their  happy  families  and  repay  his  protecting  presence. 
They  know  their  cruel  enemies  of  the  wild  dare  not  come 
where  man  makes  his  abode.  The  birds  of  the  wood 
have  no  notes  that  compare  with  the  lofty  notes  of  faith 
of  the  merry  song  sparrow.  The  notes  of  our  bluebird 
or  joncos  are  notes  of  love,  the  thrushes  roll  on  a  spiritual 
serenity,  the  bobolinks  shout  a  very  joyous  music  for  man. 
If  we  live  with  them  in  our  kindnesses  they  learn  our  note 
of  sympathy  and  sing  it  back  again  to  us.  Are  these  not 
signs  of  a  new  world  of  life  moving  and  acting  according 
to  a  principle  the  very  opposite  of  cruelty,  hatred  and 
destruction  ? 

We  had  a  great  deal  of  reading  out  of  doors,  in  the 
branches  of  favorite  trees  or  lying  on  the  grass  in  shaded 
rest.  May-day  brought  a  profusion  of  Mayflowers,  Nova 
Scotia's  provincial  emblem,  so  pretty  and  fragrant  that 

36 


A  COMPREHENSIVE  SITUATION 


they  must  have  deepened  our  love  for  the  beautiful  home- 
land. On  our  good  Queen  Victoria's  birthday  all  hearts 
were  glad,  and  sang  or  hummed  as  best  we  could  the  national 
anthem,  in  praise  of  the  noblest  woman  on  the  throne 
since  the  days  of  Queen  Esther.  The  great  beds  of  white 
and  blue  violets  blooming  around  the  sugar-camp  grounds 
were  gathered  by  the  girls,  to  honor  the  Queen's  May-day, 
with  the  little  girls,  Sarah  and  Annie,  in  the  lead. 

This  enchanting  farm  was  hewn  out  of  the  forest  by 
the  arms  of  a  man  who  saw  the  end  of  his  work  at  the  begin- 
ning.  Its  mountains  and  hills,  slopes  and  plains  and 
river  opened  to  his  view,  and  altered  into  agreeable  homes 
with  sheltering  barns;  into  lawn-like  fields,  bordered  by 
flowering  trees  and  heavy  sashes  of  blooms  along  the  fence 
lines  and  river;  with  animated  life  of  horses  and  cattle, 
sheep  and  lambs,  clothing  the  green  banks  of  the  brook 
and  the  pastures  with  a  picturesque  peace.  Such  was  the 
work  of  our  grandfather  and  his  boys. 

The  sheep  were  sheared,  and  grandmother  and  the 
girls  did  their  equal  part  in  washing  and  spinning,  weaving 
and  dyeing  before  the  davs  of  mills.  Our  interesting 
animals  lived  up  to  the  plane  of  their  intelligence  and 
courted  the  respect  and  admiration  of  man,  and  so  did 
the  trees.  If  we  make  two  blades  of  grass  grow  in  place 
of  one  or  fruit  to  appear  where  there  was  none,  we  assist 
God  and  bless  mankind  with  an  inspiriting  freshness  that 
will  lengthen  lives. 


37 


CHAPTER  V 


SHEEP  WASHING  AND  CLIPPING 

IN  THE  first  days  of  June  warmth  we  rounded  in 
by  count  the  whole  flock  of  sheep  and  lambs  to  a 
corral  under  the  willows  by  the  highway,  and  near 
the  brook  pool,  with  its  three  to  four  feet  of  water  in  the 
springtime.  Above  these  lovely  little  falls  we  laid  in  the 
gravel  bed  a  broad  plank,  with  strips  six  inches  wide  nailed 
on  its  edges,  to  bring  a  wide  pour  of  water  over  the  pool 
and  on  the  backs  of  the  sheep. 

The  boys  were  in  ecstatic  glee.  They  caught  the  sheep 
and  led  it  to  the  pool,  where  a  man  and  one  of  us  did  the 
washing.  We  pressed  the  wool  between  two  hands,  press- 
ing it  over  and  over  until  the  impurities  were  pressed  out. 
We  turned  the  sheep  round  and  round,  and  upside  down, 
until  it  was  well  washed.  We  then  assisted  it  to  clean, 
green  grass,  where  it  lay  until  the  water  soaked  away. 
The  sheep  had  no  love  for  this  heroic  treatment,  and  often 
pleaded  in  their  bleating  tongue  for  mercy.  The  lambs 
came  with  their  mothers  when  we  caught  the  sheep,  as  is 
their  habit,  and  kept  very  close  by  them,  as  when  sensing 
danger,  while  we  led  the  mothers  down  to  the  very  edge 
of  the  pool,  and  they  bleated  wildly  for  "maa."  They 
were  smart  if  we  did  not  catch  them  too  and  initia  e  them 
also,  and  they  got  a  hearty  laugh  from  us.  Our  flock  of 
thirty  sheep  went  one  by  one  under  the  shower  and  pour, 
and  many  a  refractory  fellow  or  big  wether  stood  a  boy  on 
his  head  before  he  reached  the  water.  The  fun  and  frolic 
were  well  kept  up  by  the  individual  antics  and  contortions 
of  these  interesting  animals. 

There  was  one  fellow  we  have  not  forgotten,  the  big 
white  ram  on  which  the  boys  centered  all  their  powers. 

38 


SHEEP  WASHING  AND  CLIPPING 


We  gave  him  a  double  cleaning  and  double  washing  under 
the  double  pour,  and  held  him  well  under  the  water  to 
make  him  good.  Before  we  got  through  with  him  he 
was  on  the  verge  of  drowning.  He  always  butted  us  behind 
when  we  were  not  looking,  ever  giving  us  sorrowful  sur- 
prises. We  "had  it  in  for  him"  now,  and  every  child 
was  more  than  willing  to  lend  a  hand.  Some  of  the  little 
ones  threw  more  water  in  his  face.  We  soaked  the  butt 
completely  out  of  him.  He  walked  away  so  meekly  and  so 
quietly,  as  though  he  would  never  look  at  us  again  or  butt 
us.  Next  year  he  was  worse  than  ever,  but  we  walked 
backward  with  the  pails,  facing  him,  and  with  our  eyes 
looking  into  his  we  dared  him. 

It  took  two  fine  days  for  the  sheep  to  dry,  and  one  short 
day  to  clip  them,  when  all  joined  in  piling  the  fleeces  in  the 
wagon  and  hauling  to  the  green  for  spreading.  The  dande- 
lions in  their  big  golden  blossoms  covered  the  grass  plot 
where  the  wool  was  spread  out  in  fleeces  to  the  sun.  Here 
it  was  dried,  rolled  and  layered  in  wool  sacks  for  the  Archi- 
bald carding  mills,  and  one  or  two  of  us  went  to  the  mills 
to  see  it  carded  into  rolls,  which  meant  a  holiday  oft  the 
farm. 

Oh,  the  secrets  held  back  from  the  children  in  those 
wonderful  mills  and  waterfalls  on  the  big  water  wheel, 
in  deep,  narrow  caverns  a  long  way  down  below!  Sixty 
years  are  gone,  and  we  have  not  got  all  their  treasures  yet. 
I  would  like  a  manhood  search  at  those  mills  again  for 
hidden  wonders. 

Mother  kept  a  spinning  and  a  weaving  girl.  The 
large  spinning  wheel  and  spindle  in  motion  were  an  ever- 
lasting wonder  and  a  musical  affair  that  sent  forth  fine  and 
low  humming  tones,  soft  as  wool.  When  alone  the  boys 
sometimes  tried  their  hands  at  spinning,  but  no  one  ever 

39 


HOME-MAKING  AND  ITS  PHILOSOPHY 


gave  us  praise  for  spinning  the  roll.  The  spinner  loved 
her  work,  and  chimed  in  music  of  her  own  as  she  sent  the 
wheel  on  a  quick  revolving  whirr;  and  then  flew  back, 
twisting  the  woolly  roll  to  thread,  to  its  very  end.  The 
ambitious  Lizzie  McDonald  and  Maggie  Glencross  spun 
six  skeins  a  day,  with  pride  twisted  in  their  work. 

Next  came  the  weaving  in  the  garret  at  the  head  of  the 
stairs,  over  the  kitchen,  where  bobbins,  spools,  quills,  and 
shuttle  sped  through  the  warp  treadled  off  the  beam.  The 
yarns  were  shuttled  through  the  crossing  warps  from  off 
the  quills  and  driven  into  fabric.  Seven  yards  of  cloth 
was  a  generous  day's  work.  There  was  careful  planning 
and  a  deal  of  minute,  painstaking  work  done  before  "  home- 
spuns/' all  wool  or  cotton  mixtures,  were  woven.  It  was 
in  our  nooning  hours  upstairs,  reading  and  observing, 
that  we  felt  the  tremble  of  the  floor  and  heard  the  inter- 
mittent spindle  hum. 

We  saw  all  this  going  in  childhood  days,  and  it  exalted 
mother's  management  in  our  eyes,  and  still  it  stronger 
grows  with  advancing  years.  Grandmother  had  her  little 
spinning  wheel  in  her  sitting-room  for  wool  and  flaxen 
tow.  We  were  allowed  to  sit  beside  her  on  a  little  chair 
or  a  footstool,  and  look  at  it  spinning  round,  but  we  could 
not  see  the  spindle's  end,  it  went  so  whizzing  fast,  and  we 
must  not  touch  or  handle  any  part  at  any  time.  She  spun 
on  this  for  pleasure,  and  for  instrumental  music,  and  for 
profit,  too.  To-day  it  finds  its  place  in  the  spacious  hall 
or  reception  room  in  a  solemn,  unnatural  stillness  of  its 
own,  or  is  loved  and  touched  and  handled  in  an  effort  to 
recall  dim  memories  of  the  past.  It  is  an  heirloom  from 
the  "days  of  auld  lang  syne." 


40 


THE  SWEET-SMELLING  MAPLES 


CHAPTER  VI 


MAPLE  SUGAR  MAKING 

THIS  was  in  March  and  to  us  the  beginning  of  spring. 
The  maple  grove  held  from  three  hundred  to  five 
hundred  trees  of  tapping  size  and  faced  the  north, 
on  a  descending  slope  looking  to  the  house.  My  readers 
must  go  back  to  "ye  olden  time"  when  wooden  spouts  a 
foot  long  were  used,  shaped  like  a  crescent,  and  a  steel 
gouge  of  the  same  shape  was  driven  into  the  tree  two  or 
more  feet  from  the  ground,  and  the  wooden  spout  tapped 
firmly  into  the  opening  to  prevent  leaking.  An  axe  or 
auger  made  an  incision  above  the  spout  and  the  white 
chips  fell  on  the  snow  while  the  sweetish  sap  followed 
almost  in  a  stream  for  freedom  and  to  us.  The  troughs 
were  two  feet  long  and  made  of  clear  split  fir,  hewn  out 
with  axes,  or  from  birch  bark  peeled  from  the  best  white 
birch,  without  knot  holes,  because  of  its  tougher  fibre. 
The  bark  was  folded  into  basin  shape  and  skewered  by 
wooden  pins,  and  held  from  four  to  five  quarts  of  sap,  a 
quantity  equal  to  a  day's  run. 

The  sap  of  different  trees  varied  in  sweetness  or  sugar 
yield.  Two  pails  full  of  sweet  sap  from  a  large  rock  maple 
gave  one  pound  of  sugar. 

As  we  children  came  into  the  majestic  presence  of 
these  sweet  friends  of  the  woods,  our  spirits  rose  high  at 
the  prospect.  The  blood  dashed  through  our  veins  and 
arteries  with  the  speed  of  the  maple  sap  on  a  soft,  sunny 
April  forenoon,  following  a  sharp,  clear  night  with  frost 
that  froze  the  snow  to  a  walking  crust. 

The  gathering  of  the  sap  in  pails,  with  a  hoop  for  easy 
carriage,  was  among  the  first  pleasant  experiences  of  the  boys 
and  we  soon  found  it  required  great  care  to  lift  the  full 

4i 


HOME-MAKING  AND  ITS  PHILOSOPHY 


barks  with  a  hand-grasp  at  each  end,  and  pour  their  con- 
tents into  the  pail  without  waste;  but  we  learned  to  keep 
the  sweet  liquid.  In  later  years  father  used  oxen  and 
sled,  and  by  means  of  cut  roads  around  the  maples,  the 
heavy  work  was  lightened.  A  hundred-gallon  hogshead 
was  lashed  on  its  side  on  the  sled,  and  into  a  hopper  attached 
at  the  top  the  pails  of  sap  were  poured  as  the  team  passed 
by  that  way.  This  was  glorious  gathering  in  the  rich 
golden  sunlight  of  spring's  snow-melting  days.  The  boil- 
ing camp  was  prepared  by  felling  a  tree  of  birch,  or  other 
wood  than  maple,  two  to  three  feet  in  diameter  and  cutting 
into  ten-feet  logs,  then  placing  two  of  these  three  feet  apart 
in  front  of  a  camp  with  open  ends,  and  filling  in  between 
with  small  wood  to  fire.  Three  boilers  were  suspended 
and  lowered  to  the  logs,  the  largest  holding  forty-two  gal- 
lons. After  straining  the  sap,  it  went  into  the  smaller 
boiler  and  was  brought  to  the  boiling  point,  when  sweet 
steam  floated  out  in  clouds  to  sail  around  the  world.  The 
hot  sap  was  ladled  from  this  boiler  into  its  nearest  neigh- 
bor, where  it  was  reduced  and  ready  to  be  given  to  the 
larger  one  known  as  the  syrup  boiler.  This  was  merry- 
making to  see  the  water  go  up  in  steam  and  the  syrup 
sweeten  to  stay  with  us.  Much  care  was  needed  to  prevent 
the  sap  boiling  over.  This  was  in  part  accomplished 
by  suspending  a  piece  of  fat  pork  or  bacon  in  the  center 
and  below  the  lip  edge  of  the  boiler.  The  boiling  sap 
would  recede  as  soon  as  it  touched  this  fat.  The  regula- 
tion of  fire  was  also  important.  Father  led  us  all  and 
enjoyed  most  of  our  doings;  much  work  had  to  be  done 
before  we  were  within  measurable  sight  of  melliferous 
reward.  The  fires  were  kindled  in  fine  weather  about 
midday,  and  were  kept  steadily  going  until  midnight,  but 
the  children's  interest  never  flagged  from  start  to  finish; 

42 


MAPLE  SUGAR  MAKING 


and  so  it  was  repeated  on  all  boiling  days.  If  you  want 
children  to  work  well  put  sweet  morsels  at  the  goal. 

At  midnight  the  syrup  was  carried  in  pails  to  the  house 
and  sometimes  we  got  a  resting  sup  on  the  way.  And 
the  next  day  under  mother's  care,  a  double  straining  and 
stove  boiling  began  with  accelerating  interest.  It  took 
longer  time  for  mother's  enthusiasm  to  kindle  than  ours, 
but  we  observed  as  the  perfumes  ascended  she  gradually 
rose  to  the  eventful  occasion.  We  could  not  all  be  present 
to  assist  her  in  this  interesting  work,  but  it  is  safe  to  affirm 
that  all  were  present  in  spirit.  There  were  many  occasions 
when  she  was  able  to  count  all  her  dear  children  present, 
and  often  many  of  them  in  her  way. 

The  kitchen  air  took  on  aroma  essentially  different 
from  wash-day  odors.  The  hours  were  long  and  the  chil- 
dren brought  the  best  wood  from  the  wood-house  with  a 
speed  unknown  on  other  days.  Mother  would  plead  for 
more  space  to  oversee  the  syrup,  when  the  treacle  stage 
was  nearing,  which  we  knew  by  smell.  A  block  of  ice 
for  testing  the  wax  was  never  overlooked.  Once  on  the 
ice,  the  sugary  treacle,  whether  too  soft  or  too  hard,  was 
never  known  to  go  back  to  the  kettles.  The  larger  boys 
assisted  mother  in  keeping  the  way  open  and  bringing 
an  armful  of  wood  to  the  wood  box.  Their  work  was 
conveniently  chosen  at  the  wood  pile  chopping,  where 
they  would  be  near  if  needed. 

At  last  the  wax  was  right.  Exquisite  minutes!  Anxiety 
unrestrainable!  Palpitating  agitation!  The  wax  had  the 
grain.  "Ladle  it  on  the  ice, — remove  the  barks  rapidly — 
rush  the  boiling  and  the  barking — now  leave  the  rest  for 
sugar  cakes,  square  or  round,  which  must  simmer  a  few 
minutes  longer — ready  for  sugaring — fill  the  squares  while 
hot — quickly  pour  and  pass  the  empties  and  set  aside  the 

43 


HOME-MAKING  AND  ITS  PHILOSOPHY 


fulls/'  the  last  of  nature's  indefinable  sweetness  is  in  a 
solid.  The  imagination  working  through  the  tongue  can  get 
the  finest  effect  of  taste  which  grows  into  a  new  refinement. 

From  March  to  November  are  eight  months  devoted 
to  sapping  and  planting  and  gathering  in  the  fruits  of  the 
earth  in  Canada  and  Vermont,  leaving  four  months  of 
winter  slumber  to  nature  and  to  sleigh  bells.  It  happened 
two  or  three  times  when  father  was  laid  by  from  work 
altogether  for  six  months,  with  rheumatism  of  a  very  acute 
form,  that  he  rented  the  sugar  plantation  to  an  Indian 
family  named  Nowlan,  who  built  a  wigwam  near  our  sugar 
camp  and  carried  on  sugar  making  much  as  we  had  done. 

Some  new  troughs  were  needed  annually,  and  the 
Indians  were  experts  in  stripping  the  bark  from  trees  so  as 
to  prevent  leaks.  They  paid  a  rental  of  seventy  pounds 
of  the  first  sugar  of  the  season,  which  was  regarded  as  the 
best;  and  this  included  the  use  of  our  boilers  and  firewood. 

Father  trusted  this  Indian  as  an  honest  man,  arid  he 
was  not  disappointed.  He  let  him  have  the  maple  grove 
the  second  year  with  like  results.  It  was  father's  method 
to  appeal  to  the  honest  qualities  in  men  and  hope  for  an 
awakening  response.  We  children  liked  to  go  over  to 
the  wigwam  for  its  novelty  and  sit  on  the  boughs;  and 
while  it  might  be  wholesome  it  also  had  a  certain  charm 
for  youngsters.  The  Indians  would  come  to  the  house 
for  milk  and  potatoes.  They  were  clean,  tidy  and  respect- 
ful. Father  treated  the  Indians  with  sincere  respect,  and 
they  seemed  to  be  looking  up  the  shining  trail  and  feebly 
following  the  unerring  Guide  beyond  the  stars  right  to 
the  throne  of  God.  His  influence  over  the  Micmacs  was 
very  marked,  as  he  always  had  the  kindly  words  and  good- 
ness from  the  Lord  to  share  with  them,  and  I  am  quite 
sure  much  of  this  was  good  seed  scattered  that  yielded 

44 


MAPLE  SUGAR  MAKING 


fruit.  Sometimes  they  came  on  a  Sabbath  for  sundry 
needs,  when  father  sandwiched  in  some  good  teaching. 
They  seemed  pleased  to  hear  the  Great  Spirit  was  "our 
Father  and  your  Father  too — then  we  are  brothers/'  This 
kindness  of  heart  grew  out  of  his  pure  and  religious  life 
and  purpose  to  uplift  the  Indian  life. 

It  was  the  rule  of  our  home  to  treat  all  humanity  with 
full  courtesy  and  kindness,  and  it  brought  its  own  reward. 
I  recall  a  colored  preacher  who  came  to  our  settlement 
and  preached  in  the  new  schoolhouse.  He  had  a  good- 
sized  audience  and  an  interesting  meeting,  but  many  were 
slow  about  inviting  him  to  their  home  for  the  night.  Father 
at  once  extended  an  invitation,  and  mother  gave  him  one 
of  her  best  bedrooms,  and  he  breakfasted  with  us.  There 
were  no  negro  settlements  on  the  river,  and  they  rarely 
came  into  the  community. 

Maple  Sugar  Making  at  Mapleton 

The  mountain  on  the  southern  and  eastern  sides  is 
studded  with  maple  trees  of  all  ages,  most  of  them  with 
trunks  towering  far  above  the  mixed  forest,  and  extending 
away  down  its  regular  sloping  sides  into  the  deep  glens 
at  least  five  hundred  feet  below.  The  road  up  the  side 
is  sharply  zigzag  and  mostly  hidden  from  house  view  by 
the  luxuriant  undergrowth.  The  rich  colorings  in  ripening 
foliage  daily  creeping  down  the  slopes  and  stretching  across 
the  lofty  grades,  are  simply  magnificent.  Here  stand  six 
thousand  maples  of  sugar  age.  For  three  generations  maple 
sugar  has  been  made  here.  By  a  recently  discovered 
process  a  new  article  called  "maple  cream"  has  given 
added  value  to  the  finest  flavored  product  known  to  com- 
merce, and  its  markets  are  widening  even  to  the  mother 
land.    This  product  is  neatly  packed  in  waxed  white  paper. 

45 


HOME-MAKING  AND  ITS  PHILOSOPHY 


The  owner  is  proposing  a  new  plan  involving  the  piping 
of  each  tree  with  tubing,  pencil  size,  and  leading  to  aque- 
ducts collecting  and  carrying  the  sap  to  the  evaporators 
and  camp,  centrally  located  at  the  mountain's  base. 

To  one  point  these  six  thousand  maples  will  send  by 
gravity  their  run  of  sap,  which  in  a  season  will  each  make 
one  and  one-half  to  two  pounds  of  cream.  This  economical 
method  will  do  away  with  tin  pails  for  each  tree — the  ex- 
pense of  gathering  teams  and  tanks  and  the  work  of  col- 
lecting the  sap  in  pails  day  by  day.  The  evaporators  will 
become  self-feeding  and  the  sap  will  be  delivered  to  them 
clean  and  fresh,  and  will  be  turned  into  syrup  or  cream  in 
three  or  four  hours  after  leaving  its  maple  home. 

The  heat  rises  by  the  thermometer  to  two  hundred  and 
forty  degrees  to  get  the  true  crystal  grain,  when  the  boiling 
pans  are  quickly  removed  to  an  ice-cold  surface  and  expertly 
stirred  with  large  ladles  until  ready  in  color  and  grain  to 
cake  and  mould  into  a  cheese  consistency,  which  it  retains 
for  months  in  ordinary  cold  storage. 

It  was  impossible  to  detect  any  change  in  abundant 
samples  collected  at  various  dates.  In  the  mouth  under 
the  gentlest  movement  of  the  teeth  the  cream  simply  melts 
its  fragrant  sweetness  slowly  into  a  delicious  health  tonic, 
delightfully  rich  in  solidity  and  recurring  memories,  and 
unequalled,  so  far  as  known,  by  any  other  melliferous 
sweetness  in  the  world.  The  sunny  sides  of  these  hills 
and  ranges  yield  more  cream  than  the  wintry  slopes. 
The  maples,  like  the  apple,  live  here  a  century  or  longer. 
Maple  and  apple  seedlings  are  ever  springing  up  and  more 
than  maintain  their  quota  and  increasing  family.  Hun- 
dreds of  hills  and  vales  await  the  home-makers.  The 
valleys  are  ideal  apple  lands  with  sharp,  gritty  soil,  and 
pre-empted  from  hurtful  gales. 

46 


CHAPTER  VII 


TREMONT  TEMPLE,  GOVERNOR  HOWE 
AND  MR.  ANN  AND 

WE  KNEW  our  father  and  mother,  our  grandfather 
and  grandmother  in  their  lives  as  children  know. 
They  held  from  "On  High"  that  conscious  accept- 
ance and  strength  that  will  eventually  rule  the  world.  We 
are  now  in  the  throes  and  struggles  as  individuals  and 
nations  for  that  supremacy.  Can  we  know  the  gracious 
Spirit  coming  within,  to  personally  rule  ?  It  was  the  Pente- 
costal prayer  in  unity  that  led  to  the  outpouring  of  the 
Spirit  in  wondrous  power. 

The  Spirit  of  God  brooded  over  the  vast  assemblage 
in  Tremont  Temple,  Boston,  led  by  Drs.  Chapman  and 
Alexander,  and  seemed  to  lead  the  audience  to  the  fulfil- 
ment of  the  conditions  God  required,  where  the  Holy 
Spirit  descends  in  great  measure  on  a  hushed  and  waiting 
assemblage. 

The  writer  was  one  of  the  workers  in  those  meetings, 
in  which  the  power  present  in  its  very  nature  and  influence 
differed  from  all  power  proceeding  from  earth  or  man.  It 
was  manifest  to  the  soul  and  evident  to  the  senses  that  it 
differed.  It  placed  a  fresh  emphasis  on  the  reason- 
ableness and  soundness  of  Christianity.  It  touched  man 
from  its  own  higher  plane  of  approach  and  there  is  nothing 
on  earth  analogous  to  it.  Christ  was  set  in  the  minds  of 
men  and  the  Spirit  of  God  touched  the  hearts.  The  people 
were  calm,  never  calmer,  and  the  power  was  pervasive. 
Men  desired  a  vitalized  life  and  found  it.  "I  surrender 
all"  brings  power  to  the  soul  and  strength  to  the  life  to 
wish  to  live  like  Jesus.  No  other  power  reaches  the  remote 
recesses  of  the  soul  or  attempts  to  find  it  as  this  heavenly 

47 


HOME-MAKING  AND  ITS  PHILOSOPHY 


influence  does.  By  contact  sin  seals  up  the  soul's  way  to 
power.  The  Holy  Spirit  discloses  it  to  the  inner  sight 
and  unfolds  it  then. 

We  felt  this  power  in  the  Archibald  homes  and  all  the 
children  knew  we  were  greatly  subdued  by  it. 

An  impressive  statue  educates  and  trains  by  its  presence 
through  suggestion. 

The  power  our  parents  held  was  inwrought  with  pre- 
cision. Their  spiritual  natures  raised  moral  sanctity  and 
integrity  in  daily  life  in  us.  "Righteousness  exalteth  a 
nation. "  It  purifies  rule.  Away  with  police  courts,  and 
empty  the  penitentiaries  as  soon  as  we  can!  The  parole 
officer  of  the  Dominion  of  Canada  is  proving  the  potency 
of  this  old  doctrine.  Tobacco  and  drunkenness  habits 
slough  off.  I  recollect  when  father  once  used  tobacco 
and  pipe,  he  and  a  neighbor  were  smoking  about  the  fire- 
side when  each  pledged  the  other  to  give  up  the  use  of 
tobacco.  I  suspect  mother  had  something  to  do  with  it, 
but  they  never  used  it  again.  This  voluntary  act  left  the 
deepest  impression  on  his  family,  for  not  one  of  them  has 
ever  used  tobacco.  He  would  not  worry  or  fret  for  reasons, 
nor  curse  or  swear,  drink  whiskey  or  use  tobacco. 

A  life  of  purity  and  usefulness  is  the  secret  of  happiness. 
"Blessed  are  the  poor  in  spirit,"  "the  meek,"  "the  merci- 
ful," "the  pure  in  heart."  Our  Heavenly  Father  is  more 
ready  to  give  than  our  earthly  father.  These  thoughts  and 
impressions  flow  forward  with  the  years  and  will  not  be 
stilled. 

Our  grand-uncle,  whose  farm  adjoined  us  on  the  east 
side  with  its  Red  House,  sold  it  to  "the  Annands"  of  the 
City  of  Halifax,  a  prominent  family  of  wealth,  and  the 
two  young  brothers,  James  and  William,  who  married 
sisters,  Misses  Evenings,  came  to  the  farm  and  proceeded 

48 


LOOKING  DOWN  THE  MUSOUODOBOIT  TO  OUR 
BRIDGE  FROM  THE  ANNAND  FARM 
"  In  joy  and  gladness  there  ye  go — 
My  country's  pleasant  streams, 
And  oft  through  scenes  as  fair  ye  flow, 

As  bless  the  poet's  dreams." — Joe  Howe. 


GOVERNOR  HOWE  AND  MR.  ANN  AND 


to  build  a  mansion  in  the  Colonial  style,  with  spacious 
halls  and  large  rooms  and  corridors  that  excited  the  wonder 
of  the  people  on  the  river. 

It  was  set  on  elevation,  in  full  view  of  their  large  estate, 
The  flower  garden  on  the  front  was  walled  around  on  two 
sides  with  cut  stone,  and  extensive  plantings  were  made. 
Money  was  lavishly  expended  in  ways  which  fancy  and 
improvements  dictated  or  tastes  suggested. 

Our  grandfather  and  the  two  brothers  were  social  and 
political  friends.  Mr.  William  Annand  and  Mr.  Joseph 
Howe  had  been  elected  to  the  House  of  Assembly  in  1S36. 
It  was  about  this  time  Mr.  Howe  wrote  his  beautiful  poem, 
"Our  Country's  Pleasant  Streams,"  doubtless  suggested  by 
the  Musquodoboit  River  and  its  many  beautiful  tributaries. 
The  girls  and  boys  loved  to  repeat  and  hum  its  rhythmic 
flow  in  the  schoolroom. 

The  noble  lakes  your  strength  supplv, 

And  now  the  crvstal  spring, 
Where,  undisturbed,  the  wild  birds  fly, 

Or  bathe  the  wean*  ^ing. 
Through  narrow  gorges  here  you  foam, 

There  down  the  valley  rove, 
Like  vouths  who  leave  a  quiet  home 

The  world's  delight  to  prove. 

— Joseph  Howe 

Mr.  Howe  and  Mr.  Annand  were  re-elected  to  the 
Assembly  many  times  in  our  metropolitan  county.  Later 
Mr.  William  Annand  received  the  appointment  of  im- 
migration agent  at  London.  It  was  in  1S45  that  Air. 
Howe  came  to  the  "Annand  country  seat'"  to  reside  for  two 
years,  following  the  defeat  of  his  government.  While  here 
he  wrote  many  of  his  delightful  poems,  some  of  these  to  his 
daughters,  others  bearing  on  nature  scenes  and  incidents 

49 


HOME-MAKING  AND  ITS  PHILOSOPHY 


social,  political  or  otherwise.  His  social  qualities  were  of 
an  unusuall}  high  order,  and  his  influence  with  his  political 
following  was  great.  Our  grandfather  exchanged  visits 
with  Mr.  Annand,  as  also  they  did  with  Mr.  Howe,  their 
farms  lying  side  by  side.  Socially  the  Annands  and  the 
Howes  added  much  to  the  communities  along  the  river. 
The  population  of  Musquodoboit  at  this  period  was  about 
1300.  Mr.  Howe  was  a  great  lover  of  nature  and  the 
natural  or  simple  life.  He  did  much  to  inspire  the  young 
people  by  his  poetic  spirit  and  literary  gems,  many  of  us 
committing  to  memory  his  poetry  and  prose  writings  while 
they  were  yet  fresh  from  his  pen.  There  was  a  natural 
elegance  and  fullness  and  roundness  of  expression,  with 
an  attractive  beauty  and  inspirational  spirit  which  awakened 
the  young  minds  and  touched  the  hearts,  for  which  we 
will  be  ever  grateful  to  him.  We  felt  a  pride  and  owner- 
ship in  whatever  he  did  while  residing  among  us,  and  con- 
tinue to  do  so  yet  in  the  same  things. 

The  two  men  whom  I  believe  have  been  of  most  service 
to  me  by  their  oratory  and  more  by  their  writings  are  the 
Hon.  Joseph  Howe  and  the  Rev.  Henry  Ward  Beecher. 
Since  then  it  is  Dr.  Lyman  Abbott,  a  present  peer,  abreast 
of  all  in  the  soul's  powers'  exponents. 

Mr.  Howe  says:  "In  1845  I  moved  to  the  headwaters 
of  the  Musquodoboit.  They  were  two  of  the  happiest 
years.  I  had  for  a  long  time  been  overworking  my  mind 
and  underworking  my  body.  Here  I  worked  my  body 
and  rested  my  brain.  We  rose  at  daylight,  breakfasted 
at  seven,  dined  at  twelve,  took  tea  at  six,  and  then  assembled 
in  the  library,  where  we  read  four  or  five  hours  every  even- 
ing. I  learned  to  plow,  to  mow,  to  reap,  to  cradle.  I 
knew  how  to  chop  and  pitch  hay  before.  Constant  exercise 
in  the  open  air  made  me  hard  as  iron.    My  head  was  clear 

5° 


GOVERNOR  HOWE  AXD  MR.  ANN  AND 


and  my  spirits  buovant.  My  girls  learned  to  do  every- 
thing and  got  a  knowledge  of  books  which  amidst  the  fri- 
volities and  gossiping  city  life  they  never  could  have  ac- 
quired, and  my  bovs  got  into  country  life.  I  read  the 
Edinburgh  Review  from  the  commencement  and  all  the 
poets  over  again;  wrote  a  good  deal,  and  we  spent  the  best 
part  of  every  dav  in  the  fields  or  in  the  woods.  My  children 
were  all  around  me.  I  had  cares  enough,  God  knows.  I 
shall  never  perhaps  be  so  happy  again." 

Mr.  Howe  was  a  man  of  immense  gratitude,  and  the 
gift  of  a  silver  pitcher  from  his  New  "\  ork  admirers  was 
greatly  prized  by  him.  The  pitcher  bore  the  following 
inscription : 

"Presented  to  Joseph  Howe.  Esq.,  by  Nova  Scotia 
residents  of  Xew  York,  as  a  testimony  of  their  respect  and 
admiration  for  his  honest  independence  in  publicly  ex- 
posing fraud,  improving  the  morals,  and  correcting  the 
errors  of  men  in  office,  and  his  eloquent  and  triumphant 
defence  in  support  of  The  Freedom  of  The  Press.  City  of 
Xew  York,  1835." 

In  1847  the  general  elections  were  brought  on  and  kites 
were  flying.  Mr.  Howe's  reply  to  a  political  charge  is  a 
species  of  this  style  of  repartee:  " There  are,'''  said  he,  "two 
kinds  of  kites.  There  is  the  innocent  tov,  which  amuses 
us  in  boyhood  and  which  in  the  hands  of  a  philosopher 
may  call  down  light  from  Heaven.  There  is  a  foul  bird, 
which  settles  on  an  object  but  to  sully  or  destroy.  Our 
learned  friend's  kite  resembles  the  former,  the  latter  re- 
sembles the  Attorney  General's  bill."  At  the  polls  Mr. 
Howe  and  his  government  were  triumphantly  returned. 

The  people  of  Musquodoboit  prepared  for  him  a  wel- 
come to  his  "country  seat."  It  is  described  as  follows: 
"Mr,  Howe  reached  the  Red  Bridge,  about  twenty  miles 


HOME-MAKING  AND  ITS  PHILOSOPHY 


from  his  home,  early  on  the  afternoon  of  Wednesday. 
Here  he  was  met  by  a  great  number  of  the  inhabitants 
of  Middle  Musquodoboit,  in  wagons  and  on  horseback, 
who  escorted  him  with  banners  flying  and  every  demon- 
stration of  affection  and  respect,  for  some  miles  on  his  road. 
When  the  cavalcade  reached  the  rising  ground  near  the 
Episcopal  Church,  a  still  larger  body  was  discovered 
awaiting  its  approach.  This  included  the  leading  men 
from  the  head  of  the  River,  and  the  flower  of  its  youth 
who  had  come  some  fourteen  miles  to  welcome  their  repre- 
sentative. A  wagon  with  a  raised  seat,  handsomely  fes- 
tooned with  flowers  and  drawn  by  six  horses,  was  in  waiting 
for  him.  Having  taken  his  place  in  it,  a  line  of  horsemen 
and  carriages  extending  for  nearly  half  a  mile  was  formed, 
and  moved  forward  in  good  order,  a  banner  with  the  inscrip- 
tion 'Welcome,  Howe,  the  Victory  is  Yours'  fluttering  above 
his  head.  As  the  cavalcade  passed  along,  flags  and  hand- 
kerchiefs were  waved  by  the  women  from  the  houses  along 
the  road,  and  these  demonstrations  were  answered  by 
cheers.  About  three  o'clock  the  procession  halted  in  front 
of  Kaulback's  inn,  where  dinner  had  been  prepared.  Two 
addresses  were  here  presented  from  the  Middle  and  Upper 
Settlements,  and  signed  respectively  by  Adams  Archibald, 
chairman,  Alexander  Stephens,  secretary,  for  Middle  Mus- 
quodoboit; Colonel  James  Kent,  Angus  Mclnnis,  for  the 
Upper  Settlement. 

"To  these  addresses  Mr.  Howe  replied,  thanking  the 
yeomanry  for  confiding  their  interests  to  his  care,  for  the 
steadiness  of  their  political  confidence  and  the  warmth 
of  the  reception,  and  the  kindly  relations  which  subsisted 
between  them.  At  six  o'clock  the  carriages  were  ready, 
the  horsemen  mounted,  and  the  party  drove  to  the  head 
of  the  River  in  the  cool  of  the  August  evening.    It  was 

52 


GOVERNOR  HOWE  AND  MR.  ANN  AND 


dark  before  Mr.  Howe  neared  his  home,  but  his  approach 
was  told  by  the  clear  notes  of  the  key  bugle  and  the  merry 
cheers  which  could  be  heard  for  miles  down  the  valley 
he  was  ascending.  His  family  met  him  at  the  door  with 
full  hearts  gushing  with  victorious  congratulations.  'Rest 
was  sweet/  he  said,  'after  all  the  excitement  I  had  gone 
through.  For  a  month  I  did  nothing  but  play  with  the 
children  and  read  old  books  to  my  girls.  I  then  went  into 
the  woods  and  called  moose  with  the  old  hunters,  camping 
out  night  after  night,  listening  to  their  stories,  calming 
my  thoughts  with  the  perfect  stillness  of  the  forest  and 
forgetting  the  bitterness  of  conflict  amidst  the  beauties 
nature. 

Four  years  later  the  farmers  of  the  Upper  River  pre- 
sented a  silver  tray,  bearing  this  inscription: 

"To  The  Honorable  Joseph  Howe,  presented  by  the 
inhabitants  of  Upper  Musquodoboit  August,  1851."  It 
was  said  by  the  people  who  presented  it,  that  it  was 
"  the  spontaneous  and  grateful  offering  of  the  inhabitants 
of  a  settlement  to  whom  you  have  endeared  yourself  by 
stronger  ties  than  those  of  political  party."  Mr.  Howe 
replied,  "I  shall  accept  the  gift  in  the  same  spirit  in  which 
it  has  been  bestowTed.  It  will  often  remind  me  of  happy 
hours  passed  among  you,  of  peaceful  pursuits  which  re- 
cruited my  body  and  mind;  of  old  friends,  wThose  steady 
industry  and  unostentatious  virtues  fitly  illustrate  the  rural 
life  of  the  country  for  which  it  is  my  pride  to  labor." 

In  his  great  Detroit  speech  in  1865  his  peaceful  powers 
and  tactful  imagery  were  forcibly  illustrated  by  the  follow- 
ing quotation:  "I  see  around  the  doors,  the  flags  of  the 
two  countries.  United  as  they  are  there  I  would  ever  have 
them  thus  draped  together,  fold  within  fold. 

"The  noble  St.  Lawrence  is  split  in  two  places — by 

53 


HOME-MAKING  AND  ITS  PHILOSOPHY 


Goat  Island  and  Anticosti — but  it  comes  to  us  from  the 
same  springs  in  the  same  mountain  sides;  its  waters  sweep 
together  past  the  pictured  rocks  of  Lake  Superior,  and 
encircle  in  their  loving  embrace  the  shores  of  Huron  and 
Michigan.  They  are  divided  at  Niagara  Falls  as  we  were 
at  the  Revolutionary  War,  but  they  come  together  again 
on  the  peaceful  bosom  of  Ontario.  Again  they  are  divided 
on  their  passage  to  the  sea,  but  who  thinks  of  divisions 
when  they  lift  the  keels  of  commerce,  or  when  drawn  up 
to  Heaven  they  form  the  rainbow  or  the  cloud  ?" 

Reply  of  Mr.  Howe  to  an  address  from  the  people  of 
Musquodoboit,  made  June  6,  1867:  "Gentlemen,  for 
twelve  years  you  have  honored  me  with  your  suffrages. 
For  more  than  a  quarter  of  a  century  you  have  given  me 
your  political  support,  and  within  that  time  I  passed  upon 
this  river  in  intimate  and  close  communication  with  you 
two  of  the  happiest  years  of  my  life.  You  know  me  well 
and  have  never  failed  me,  and  can  judge  how  this  warm 
welcome  after  so  long  an  absence  touches  my  heart,  and  how 
much  it  will  be  appreciated  by  Mrs.  Howe  and  my  family. 

"It  has  been  said  on  both  sides  of  the  Atlantic  that  the 
people  of  Nova  Scotia  no  longer  sympathise  with  me  or 
share  my  opinions.  Yet  I  go  into  the  counties  misrepre- 
sented by  those  who  make  these  statements,  only  to  find 
myself  welcomed  by  demonstrations  of  unmistakable  sig- 
sificance,  and  to  be  greeted  by  the  masses  everywhere  with- 
out reference  to  old  party  lines. 

"I  miss  from  among  you  some  of  the  old  friends  who 
respected  and  loved  me,  and  who  now  sleep  tranquilly  on 
the  hillsides.  We  would  not  wish  them  back,  but  the 
resolute  performance  of  our  public  duties  is  the  best  tribute 
we  can  pay  to  their  memories. 

"May  the  blessings  of  Heaven  rest  upon  your  homes, 

54 


GOVERNOR  HOWE  AND  MR.  ANN  AND 


where  the  domestic  virtues  are  happily  illustrated,  and 
while  the  hand  of  cultivation  year  by  year  gives  additional 
softness  to  the  scenery,  may  the  sturdy  independence  of 
character  so  characteristic  of  the  Musquodoboit  people 
never  pass  away. 

"  Believe  me,  gentlemen,  very  sincerely  yours, 

Joseph  Howe." 

After  Mr,  Howe's  last  homeward  sail  from  England 
he  said  to  the  electors  at  Brooklyn,  Hants:  "There  is  noth- 
ing good  that  is  not  tried.  The  very  trials  to  which  we 
are  subjected  give  us  more  stamina  and  energy.  The 
gourd  which  springs  up  in  a  night  may  perish  in  a  day, 
but  the  oak  is  shaken  and  strained  by  the  mountain  winds, 
which  loosen  its  bark  and  give  strength  to  its  fibre,  and 
when  generations  who  have  witnessed  its  wrestlings  with 
the  storms  have  passed  away,  then  and  then  only  is  it  fit 
to  form  the  ribs  of  the  gallant  ship  and  to  sustain  the  thunder- 
bolts of  war.  How  is  it  with  that  precious  metal,  so  precious 
that  for  it  men  and  even  women  will  sell  their  very  souls  ? 
Melted  in  subterranean  fires  beneath  us,  it  is  driven  through 
the  rifted  rocks,  it  is  pulverised  amid  the  sand,  until  the  miner 
finds  it,  and  even  then  it  must  pass  beneath  the  stampers, 
be  purified  by  water  and  tried  again  by  fire,  before  it  is 
fit  to  deck  the  hand  of  beauty  or  enter  on  its  great  mission 
as  the  agent  of  commerce  and  the  medium  of  exchange." 
The  foregoing  speech  of  Howe's  is  quoted  from  memory. 

May  6,  1873,  the  Hon.  Joseph  Howe  was  appointed 
Lieutenant  Governor  of  Nova  Scotia. 

On  June  1,  1873,  Lieutenant  Governor  Howe  died  at 
Government  House,  Halifax,  N.  S.,  at  the  age  of  sixty- 
nine.  He  was  the  father  of  responsible  government,  a 
journalist,  orator,  poet,  statesman,  patriot,  Briton,  upright 
citizen,  honest  man — the  greatest  Nova  Scotian. 

55 


HOME-MAKING  AND  ITS  PHILOSOPHY 


"Incomparably  the  finest  speaker,  the  greatest  natural 
orator  that  British  North  America  has  ever  produced.,, — 
Joseph  Pope  in  his  memoirs  of  Sir  John  A.  Macdonald. 

A  magnificent  memorial  tower  commemorating  re- 
sponsible government  in  Nova  Scotia  is  now  being  erected 
in  the  beautiful  park  at  the  Arm  at  Halifax,  N.  S. 

To  have  lived  as  neighbors  of  Mr  Howe  was  an  honor 
and  uplift  accorded  to  few  families,  and  his  name  will  be 
treasured  there  for  generations  and  generations  to  come. 

The  following  poem  was  composed  by  Mr.  Howe  for 
the  Industrial  Exhibition  held  at  Halifax,  1851.  It  specially 
honors  the  great  statesman  and  author.  We  appropriate 
its  share  of  sentiments  and  virtues  so  nobly  expressed 
for  the  Archibalds  now  deceased,  and  all  these  are  worthy 
of  emulation. 

OUR  FATHERS 

Room  for  the  dead!    Your  living  hands  may  pile 

Treasures  of  art  the  stately  tents  within; 

Beauty  may  grace  them  with  her  richest  smile, 

And  genius  here  spontaneous  plaudits  win. 

But  yet  amid  the  tumult  and  the  din 

Of  gathering  thousands,  let  me  audience  crave: 

Place  claim  I  for  the  dead — 'twere  mortal  sin 

When  banners  o'er  our  country's  treasures  wave, 

Unmark'd  to  leave  the  wealth  safe-garner'd  in  the  grave. 

The  fields  may  furnish  forth  their  lowing  kine, 
The  forest  spoils  in  rich  abundance  lie, 
The  mellow  fruitage  of  the  clustered  vine 
Mingle  with  flowers  of  every  varied  dye: 
Swart  artisans  their  rival  skill  may  try, 
And,  while  the  rhetorician  wins  the  ear, 
The  pencil's  graceful  shadows  charm  the  eye; 
But  yet,  do  not  withhold  the  grateful  tear 
For  those,  and  for  their  work,  who  are  not  here. 

56 


GOVERNOR  HOWE  AND  MR.  ANN  AND 


Not  here?    Oh!  yes,  our  hearts  their  presence  feel, 
Viewless,  not  voiceless,  from  the  deepest  shells 
On  memory's  shore  harmonious  echoes  steal, 
And  names,  which,  in  the  days  gone  bv  were  spells, 
Are  blent  with  that  soft  music.    If  there  dwells 
The  spirit  here  our  country's  fame  to  spread, 
While  every  breast  with  joy  and  triumph  swells, 
And  earth  reverberates  to  our  measured  tread, 
Banner  and  wreath  shall  own  our  reverence  for  the  dead. 

Look  up!    Their  walls  enclose  us.    Look  around! 
Who  won  the  verdant  meadows  from  the  sea: 
Whose  sturdv  hands  the  noble  highwavs  wound 
Through  forests  dense,  o'er  mountain,  moor  and  lea  ? 
Who  spanned  the  streams  :    Tell  me  whose  works  thev  be, 
The  busv  marts  where  commerce  ebbs  and  flows  ? 
Who  quelled  the  savage  :  and  who  spared  the  tree 
That  pleasant  shelter  o'er  the  pathwav  throws  : 
Who  made  the  land  they  loved  to  blossom  as  the  rose  r 

Who  in  frail  barques  the  ocean  surge  defied. 
And  trained  the  race  that  lived  upon  the  wave  ? 
What  shore  so  distant  where  thev  have  not  died  : 
In  ev'rv  sea  they  found  a  watery  grave. 
Honor,  forever,  to  the  true  and  brave, 
Who  seaward  led  their  sons  with  spirits  high, 
Bearing  the  red  cross  flag  their  fathers  gave; 
Long  as  the  billows  flout  the  arching  sky, 
They'll  seaward  bear  it  still  to  venture,  or  to  die. 

The  Roman  gathered  in  his  stately  urn 

The  dust  he  honor'd — while  the  sacred  fire, 

Nourish'd  bv  vestal  hands,  was  made  to  burn 

From  age  to  age.    If  fitly  you'd  aspire, 

Honor  the  dead:  and  let  the  sounding  Ivre 

Recount  their  virtues  in  vour  festal  hours: 

Gather  their  ashes — higher  still,  and  higher 

Nourish  the  patriot  flame  that  historv  dowers. 

And,  o'er  the  old  men's  graves,  go  strew  your  choicest  flowers. 


57 


CHAPTER  VIII 


"RED  HOUSE"  NATURE  STORIES 

FROM  our  "Red  House"  there  was  within  the  curve 
bounding  the  horizon  a  sense  of  proprietorship, 
even  though  all  the  land  under  it  was  not  owned 
by  us.  It  was  made  up  of  scenery,  and  sunlight,  and 
moving  shadows,  and  mental  pictures.  There  was  room 
about  the  stone  steps  leading  up  the  garden  wall  for  seat- 
ing the  family  and  a  few  friends  there  in  the  shade  of  the 
afternoon  and  evening.  The  house  roof,  the  lilacs,  the 
tall  poplars  lent  us  a  cooling  air,  redolent  with  the  fragrance 
of  earth  in  the  calm  of  the  evening.  It  was  pleasant  to  sit 
or  recline,  or  to  stand  and  tell  of  the  day's  doings,  or  the 
plans  for  the  morrow.  There  was  plenty  of  mutual  con- 
sideration to  keep  us  within  the  bounds  of  propriety  in  a 
joyous  company.  We  had  a  full  view  of  all  passers-by, 
which  in  a  country  place  is  worth  something,  though  there 
was  no  meddling  with  their  affairs  unless  we  could  be  of 
use  to  them. 

We  lived  a  sort  of  personal  life  so  far  as  we  could,  with 
great  freedom,  but  held  that  the  unity  of  the  family  and 
its  best  interests  must  always  direct  our  course.  We  were 
social,  and  loved  to  have  the  neighbors  drop  in,  as  was 
their  custom,  for  oftentimes  they  did  us  much  good.  We 
had  a  deep-seated  feeling  that  we  owned  a  pretty  place 
and  we  knew  others  enjoyed  it  too.  More  than  once, 
travelling  strangers  called,  and,  introducing  themselves, 
asked  mother,  "Who  lives  here?"  The  house  situation  and 
the  landscape  view  kindled  in  them  a  special  interest,  and 
they  enjoyed  standing  and  looking  outward  over  the  streams 
and  the  fields. 

I  used  to  think  more  birds  were  singing  in  our  trees 

58 


"RED  HOUSE"  NATURE  STORIES 


than  I  heard  elsewhere.  Whether  the  birds  love  natural 
beauty  and  choose  their  homes  there  I  can  scarcely  prove, 
but  they  do  learn  to  love  the  society  of  humane  humanity. 
They  would  seemingly  drop  into  the  trees  in  the  mornings 
in  flocks.  They  often  flew  through  the  open  windows 
and  rested  their  wings  clinging  to  the  ceiling.  One  of 
the  boys  brought  home  a  half-grown  crow  from  the  little 
woods,  and  this  fellow  fell  in  with  our  odd  ways.  He 
would  walk  about  the  garden  and  was  cunningly  intelligent. 
He  had  a  habit  we  did  not  like  of  picking  up  a  spoon  or 
fork  in  his  bill  and  hiding  it.  This  seemed  to  be  his  nature, 
and  a  slight  punishment  did  no  good.  The  toads  in  our 
garden  were  our  friends,  and  we  stepped  aside  or  over 
them  when  we  met  them  on  a  walk.  I  knew  a  little  boy 
who  put  one  in  his  pocket  to  examine  it  in  the  house  and 
ask  more  about  its  nature.  This  was  my  own  dear  little 
boy  Willie. 

Sometimes  a  solo  or  chorus  of  musical  notes  burst  forth 
into  the  air,  or  a  quotation  from  some  familiar  author. 
We  had  grown  fond  of  committing  to  memory  pleasing 
expressions  of  others,  and  sometimes  these  floated  on  the 
evening  air.  George  was  the  family  orator.  To  be  an 
orator  and  express  great  thoughts  was  held  by  us  to  be 
the  beau-ideal  of  power,  popularity  and  greatness.  This 
thought  gripped  us  early  and  still  holds  us  firmly.  Now 
we  think  it  greater  still  to  write  truths  and  hear  the  inner 
voices. 

One  lovely  evening  as  the  cooling  air  was  coming  in, 
the  mist  or  land-fog  sailed  on  the  fields  and  lowlands, 
hiding  them  from  our  elevated  view.  It  kept  coming 
and  thickening  until  we  were  introduced  to  a  new  world 
above  the  farm.  The  brook  willows  showed  about  half 
way  above  the  mist  in  their  slender,  graceful  gossamers 

59 


HOME-MAKING  AND  ITS  PHILOSOPHY 


and  the  highlands  seemed  to  be  let  down.  Our  river  was 
buried  in  the  lowered  clouds,  and  even  the  garden  on  the 
gentle  knoll  was  gauzy.  The  atmosphere  exhibited  one 
of  its  rare  powers  of  reflecting  earth  objects,  and  we  saw 
them  in  the  clouds.  The  appearance  did  not  last  long. 
It  was  indeed  a  moving  scene  with  noiselessly  shifting 
pictures  that  our  childhood's  fancy  liked  to  make,  which 
left  a  beautiful  ethical  impress  we  could  not  forget.  After 
all  this  change  had  gone,  we  welcomed  back  next  morning 
our  real  old  world  we  knew  and  loved  so  well. 

Another  evening  in  this  same  garden  spot,  on  the  garden 
wall  was  a  lurid  sunset  and  rosy  light  extending  far  north 
and  south  in  a  shading,  tinting  light.  The  sun  had 
"gone  down"  or  set  below  the  seeing  line  so  clearly  marked 
in  the  bright  light,  as  we  were  in  the  habit  of  speaking 
of  it,  and  we  gazed  on  the  effulgence  with  eyes  wide  open 
and  full  of  wonder.  We  could  not  tell  why  it  was  so.  Nor 
could  any  one  of  our  company  explain  it.  Our  feeling 
was  that  the  sun  did  not  want  to  leave  the  world  in  dark- 
ness. It  was  night  where  we  stood,  and  rosy  daylight  in 
the  west,  and  the  thought  floated  to  us  that  we  would  like 
to  be  over  there  at  the  edge  of  the  world  to  look.  At  last 
we  all  went  into  the  house,  but  in  a  very  different,  delightful 
mood  and  with  subdued  natures  and  quiet  speech.  Next 
morning  we  looked  to  the  west  but  the  rosy  light  was  no 
more.  The  sun  rose  slowly  in  the  east  and  was  to  us  the 
same  sun  we  always  knew.  While  these  scenes  may  have 
been  witnessed  in  a  thousand  places,  you  are  asked  to 
come  to  our  farm  and  see  them  as  we  saw  them  together, 
and  associate  them  with  our  making  and  family  history. 

In  the  evening  air  the  cry  of  animals  or  birds  in  the 
distant  low  woodlands  on  uncle's  farm  across  the  bending 
river  would  blend  and  mellow  in  the  falling  breeze,  and 

60 


"RED  HOUSE"  NATURE  STORIES 


roll  and  round  into  great  globes  of  sound  to  fall  upon  our 
ears,  particularly  in  the  dusk  of  summer. 

The  spirit  of  money-making  and  roaming  over  con- 
tinent is  killing  the  love  of  home  and  locality.  The  same 
spirit  prevails  all  over  America,  and  has  much  to  do  with 
the  disintegration  of  home  life.  The  homes  of  England 
are  its  chief  pride  and  source  of  permanency  and  great- 
ness. We  love  to  think  of  them  and  the  nobility  of 
lasting.  There  the  higher  ideals  spring  and  grow  and  are 
maintained. 

Grandfather's  eight-day  clock  went  to  his  new  home 
and  stood  across  the  front  corner  of  his  sitting-room, 
and  held  in  high  and  grand  degree  the  useful,  musical  and 
ornamental  qualities  combined.  Its  hour  bells  were  toned 
in  a  high  key,  and  if  the  windows  were  open  the  strokes 
could  be  heard  through  his  garden.  It  stood  full  seven 
feet  high,  and  the  ornamental  fretwork  in  wood  had  a  beauti- 
ful finish.  It  was  imported  complete  from  Scotland  about 
1810,  through  our  great-grandfather  Dechman,  and  it  was 
highly  prized,  not  only  for  its  excellence  in  workmanship 
but  as  well  because  it  came  from  the  country  of  their  na- 
tivity, and  was  priceless  for  the  "days  of  auld  lang  syne." 
The  weights  hung  about  four  feet  below  the  face,  into 
which  compartment  opened  a  long,  narrow  door.  Grand- 
mother held  the  key  and  the  weekly  winding  was  usually 
done  on  a  Saturday  afternoon.  We  often  asked  grandma 
to  let  us  see  into  its  hidden  springs  of  life,  but  we  were 
allowed  only  a  momentary  look  that  was  never  long  enough. 
It  went  as  an  heirloom  to  Uncle  James  Archibald,  and  his 
son  has  it  now;  it  is  still  a  reliable  timekeeper.  An  erroneous 
rumor  exists  that  the  works  were  imported  and  the  case 
made  of  the  farm  oak. 

When  we  were  little  boys  an  old  gentleman  who  was 

61 


HOME-MAKING  AND  ITS  PHILOSOPHY 


travelling  was  lodged  at  our  house  over  night,  and  he  taught 
us  the  verse: 

God  bless  the  master  of  this  house, 

Likewise  the  mistress  too, 
And  all  the  little  children 

That  round  the  table  strew. 

The  associations  of  chairs,  tables,  books  and  other 
articles  lend  a  preciousness  to  human  worth.  Even  the 
heavy-gilted  sugar-bowl  which  my  sister  Harriet  showed 
me  the  other  day  was  sweeter  far  because  we  had  looked 
at  it  so  often  and  tried  its  contents  almost  as  frequently 
in  the  early  days  of  youth. 

We  may  well  remark  why  the  doors  of  the  home  and 
the  garden  gates  remain  so  vivid  in  our  memories.  It 
was  there  floods  of  bright  thoughts  flowed  into  our  minds 
to  stimulate  our  scintillating  lives,  to  make  us  happy  and 
where  little  social  companies  often  met.  The  rose  the 
little  child  picks  from  the  bush  is  to  him  the  sweetest  rose 
of  all.  The  picturesque  ideals  we  have  are  gathered  from 
childhood's  gardens  and  will  stay  with  us  to  the  end.  It 
is  about  these  gates  and  doors  new  hopes  have  birth  and 
dreams  of  purposeful  years  of  power  begin.  There  is  much 
blending  here  of  desires  and  ideals  that  crowd  the  hours 
to  satisfaction.  Evening  moments  in  full  reflection  are 
the  most  restful  to  tired  folks,  especially  when  keyed  with 
joyous  notes.  There  is  no  tonic  so  renewing  as  hope  and 
gladness,  which  lifts  the  tired  bodies  on  airy  wings  of  music 
and  reconstructs  the  energies  of  heart  and  mind.  Faith 
and  hope  are  the  best  of  these  for  penetrating  the  future 
mysteries. 

One  beautiful  afternoon,  with  our  visitors,  we  went  for 
a  walk  to  the  Porcupine's  Den,  a  mile  away.  It  was  a 
jolly  trip  for  those  who  had  not  seen  this  place.    With  us 

62 


''RED  HOUSE"  NATURE  STORIES 


were  Uncle  George  and  Aunt  Mercilla.  The  den  lay  under 
the  Parker  road,  back  of  our  maple  grove.  (See  farm  en- 
graving.) Along  the  way  were  many  woodland  openings, 
and  wild  flowers  mingling  with  the  undergrowths  here  and 
there  on  every  side.  The  stalks  were  high,  and  mostly 
in  dark  colors,  as  I  recall  them.  Occasionally  we  came  to 
beds  of  flowers  low  down  in  the  semi-open  glades  which 
made  a  lovely  carpet  in  the  overhanging  trees,  and  some 
of  these  flowers  with  others  pretty  in  our  eyes  we  took  to 
grace  our  ramble.  This  was  Eden's  garden  in  nature's  lovely 
wilds.  'Tis  near  the  evening  sun  the  woods  are  best  to  see. 
Dark  shadows  begin  to  cast  themselves  about  the  denser 
thickets,  as  if  to  hide  some  secrets,  and  we  peer  into  the 
shady  places  looking  for  its  deepest  meaning,  while  every 
step  is  beset  with  something  new  and  begirt  with  refreshing 
interest.  Our  voices  seem  to  control  our  words  in  this  roomy, 
enveloped  land,  and  our  tones  to  cadences,  softening  in  the 
spirit,  and  on  we  go  up  the  hilly  crest  through  birches, 
maples,  spruces  and  bushy  hemlocks,  treading  the  mossy 
greens  for  more  odors  of  the  leafy  woods.  This  helps  to 
compensate  us  for  loss  of  bird  music.  Most  of  our  singers 
at  this  season  are  in  the  open  fields  and  trees  and  hedges 
about  the  homes,  and  so  our  party  made  its  own  music 
under  the  roofing  trees,  and  charmed  the  squirrels  and 
chickadees  and  jays  of  single  notes  into  silence,  and  the 
woodland  shadows  rang  sweetly  with  louder  melody.  The 
sounds  were  sent  afar,  but  promptly  back  they  came  in 
echoes.  With  our  company  there  was  no  lack  of  joyous 
speech,  interspersed  with  laughter,  which  rang  out  to  the 
circumference  of  this  woodland  park. 

The  open  cave  ran  under  the  Parker  road,  and  the 
descent  into  darkness  from  the  upper  side  down  slippery 
steps  (apology)  was  regarded  and  used  as  a  test  of  courage. 

63 


HOME-MAKING  AND  ITS  PHILOSOPHY 


This  was  seldom  lacking  in  people  of  country  birth.  With 
a  guide  and  a  torch  this  small  cave  was  easily  explored. 
The  body  of  ice  lay  far  beyond  the  sun.  Here  were  traces 
of  stalactites  and  stalagmites  in  ice,  which  we  passed  between 
in  a  bending  posture.  How  this  cave  got  its  name  we 
never  learned,  but  we  leave  that  point  to  the  reader's  imagina- 
tion. The  recollections  of  these  pleasure  excursions  are 
pleasant  memories  of  bygone  days,  not  lost  but  lingering 
still  and  linking  friends  together. 


64 


CHAPTER  IX 


PERSONALITY,  NATURE,  REVEALED  WORD 

WITH  father  and  mother  in  the  home,  we  had  the 
fullness  of  the  safety  feeling  and  a  short-lived 
lack  of  happiness.  It  always  seemed  to  be  an 
easy  thing  to  love  God  as  we  were  growing  up,  but  when 
we  tried  to  grow  in  that  love  it  seemed  harder.  The  truth 
was,  the  strength  and  volume  of  the  home  influence  sub- 
jected us  only.  The  trouble  was,  we  did  not  make  a  "full 
surrender."  Still,  parental  teaching  awakened  desires  to 
do  right  for  its  own  sake,  although  resolves  were  often 
like  the  morning  cloud  and  early  dew.  The  desire  for 
present  good,  love  to  God,  and  service  of  man  are  the 
foundation  of  religion,  but  human  pride  chokes  out  the 
best  of  teaching  before  its  essence  is  found  anew  or  we 
are  fastened  by  it. 

As  infants  we  began  lisping  the  name  of  Jesus  as  we 
heard  it  from  our  parents'  lips  and  saw  His  Spirit  in  their 
lives.  Our  parents'  custom  was  to  talk  with  each  child  in 
a  personal  way  on  the  rightness  of  conduct  and  the  care 
of  our  soul's  feelings,  and  this  was  often  done  at  the  bed- 
side where  heart  to  heart  talks  were  made,  with  one  child 
alone  with  mother  or  father,  as  the  case  might  be.  In 
family  circle  these  talks  were  regular  on  Sabbath  evenings. 
They  had  a  burden  of  care  for  their  children,  and  father 
did  not  forget  his  children  at  the  regular  family  altar. 

In  a  very  recent  letter  from  Brother  George  he  writes: 
"You  have  a  grand  subject  upon  which  to  write,  many 
of  the  name  being  conspicuous  in  things  good  and  great 
and  our  own  father  not  by  any  means  the  meanest  of  the 
race.  His  accomplishments  in  the  few  short  years  he 
lived  were  marvelous.    Reared  a  family  given  everv  ad- 

65 


HOME-MAKING  AND  ITS  PHILOSOPHY 


vantage  for  that  day,  maintaining  his  parents  in  part  and 
his  own  family,  securing  an  Acadia  College  scholarship. 
This  with  considerable  sickness  and  lameness  is  certainly 
noteworthy, — and  withal  an  honest  man/' 

We  were  taught  to  seize  upon  a  power  not  our  own, 
but  above  us.  There  is  such  a  thing  as  steeping  the  family 
life  sweetly  in  religious  thought,  when  it  is  deep  in  the  lives 
of  parents.  Reverence  must  saturate  the  being  to  shape 
its  course  into  a  personality  for  good.  Life  is  a  growing 
time  for  young  and  old  to  intake  the  deeper  meaning  of 
the  parental  character  of  our  heavenly  Father  and  the 
Holy  Family  above.  God's  truth  cannot  be  measured 
or  judged  by  any  standard  of  man.  Earthly  judges  of  the 
highest  courts  are  often  weak  and  guilty  of  judicial  blunders, 
through  prejudice  or  influence,  because  they  lack  the  highest 
principles  for  forming  judgment.  I  write  from  experience. 
It  is  wiser  and  better  to  stand  alone  in  the  consciousness 
of  right,  than  with  the  approval  of  the  world,  knowing 
we  are  in  the  wrong.  "He  will  take  care  of  you,  through 
every  day,  through  every  hour  God  will  take  care  of  you/' 

Our  God  is  a  God  of  justice  and  He  will  do  the  right. 
He  has  promised  us  redemption  and  has  clearly  expressed 
the  terms.  It  is  many  times  easier  to  understand  the 
character  and  will  of  God  since  man  has  turned  to  the 
study  of  his  own  higher  nature  and  God's  work  in  nature, 
considered  together  with  their  relation  to  the  revealed 
word.  The  soul  must  have  full  freedom  from  conven- 
tionality in  order  that  God  may  work  in  the  soul  according 
to  its  individual  temperament,  but  in  His  own  excellent 
way. 

Country  life  is  changing.  The  boys  go  into  money 
making  before  staying  character  develops.  The  young  are 
rushed  through  school,  colleges,  and  into  business — both 

66 


PERSONALITY,  NATURE,  REVEALED  WORD 


girls  and  boys — on  a  sweeping  tide.  They  seem  to  need 
greater  direction  in  development  of  soul — seed  thought 
in  acquirement  of  knowledge.  The  material  is  in  them 
to  make  men  and  women,  not  in  books.  The  making 
of  personal  character  is  in  lectures,  in  the  home,  in  the  school, 
and  in  college  on  graduation  day;  but  as  the  pistil  of  a 
plant,  after  being  pollenized  by  the  stamen,  must  develop 
a  seed  of  its  own,  so  must  our  youths  develop  thought  and 
character  from  the  teaching  received  by  them.  It  is  depth 
in  the  youth,  not  in  the  book,  that  is  wanted. 

Inherent  power  in  the  man  should  be  trained  to  use 
in  the  service  of  man.  There  is  much  good  in  what  is, 
we  agree,  but  it  needs  labeling  and  proper  setting. 

The  Fruit  Garden 

The  old  garden  at  the  west  of  the  house  comprised 
about  three  hundred  square  feet  of  land  lying  on  a  pretty 
incline  where  were  prolific  bushes  in  heavy  clumps  of  red 
and  white  currants,  with  here  and  there  a  gooseberry  or 
raspberry  cane.  Plums  and  apples  extended  from  the  ter- 
raced walk  down  a  bank  steeply  coving  to  a  rich  basin,  where 
stood  dear  mother's  rosy  apple  tree.  (See  engraving.)  The 
whole  plot  was  very  fertile,  and  grew  a  rich  grass  through 
which  the  scythe  ran  every  year.  The  currant  bushes  dotted 
the  sloping  sides.  There  were  about  fifty  damson  trees, 
which  had  been  early  brought  from  Edinburgh  by  grand- 
mother's family  and  were  thickly  planted  into  a  grove  facing 
the  highway.  They  grew  very  tall,  or  we  children  were 
very  short,  and  they  bore  immense  crops. 

The  boys  were  like  squirrels  in  reaching  the  black 
damsons,  or  we  would  shake  the  trees  and  down  they  would 
come  like  great  hailstones,  often  on  our  hatless  heads.  But 
in  the  plum  picking  father  scaffolded  the  trees,  so  the  large 

67 


HOME-MAKING  AND  ITS  PHILOSOPHY 


tops  could  be  picked  by  standing  on  planks  and  long  lad- 
ders. We  liked  immensely  to  pick  fruit,  and  did  satis- 
factory work,  eating  and  picking,  and  carrying  it  to  mother. 
She  knew  what  we  were  doing,  and  had  her  stewing  pans 
and  jars  and  crocks  in  sight,  and  as  it  would  be  twelve 
months  before  we  would  pick  again  she  prepared  to  feed 
us  on  plums  when  most  needed. 

The  upper  plum  tree  stood  a  little  apart,  and  had  been 
reserved  by  grandmother.  It  was  of  medium  height, 
bushy  and  fruitful  yearly.  It  was  her  habit  every  spring 
to  scatter  hardwood  ashes  through  the  branches  on  a  misty 
day,  and  it  always  gave  more  plums  to  the  cubic  yard  than 
any  other  tree  in  the  orchard.  I  wonder  if  that  dear  tree 
is  living.    I  think  I  must  go  and  see  some  September. 

Now  in  this  saucer-basin  stood  mother's  apple  tree, 
which  bore  a  seedless  apple.  The  fruit  was  good — the  best 
in  the  orchard,  and  we  believe  that  is  the  reason  it  was 
mother's  tree.  Its  color  was  rose-red,  very  velvety,  with 
yellow  ground  from  which  the  pink  shaded  to  the  deepest 
blush.  In  flavor  it  was  crisp,  spicy  and  decidedly  aromatic. 
The  size  was  small  to  medium,  slightly  conical.  The 
cells  held  black  specks,  few  in  number  and  about  the  size 
of  a  pinhead.  The  core  was  so  small  there  was  no  core, 
nor  was  the  flesh  about  it  tough — reminding  one  of  the 
boy  who  stood  by  while  another  was  eating  an  apple,  and 
being  asked  what  he  was  waiting  for,  said,  "The  core." 
The  other  quickly  answered,  "There  aint  goin'  to  be  no 
core."    It  was  very  spicy  and  delightful  in  the  mouth. 

The  tree  head  was  very  symmetrical,  large  and  beautiful, 
and  strongly  branched.  It  was  an  annual  bearer  unless 
the  frost  nipped  the  blooms,  which  occurred  about  once 
in  four  years.  The  apples  would  scarcely  keep  until  Christ- 
mas time. 

68 


MOTHER'S  ROSY  APPLE  TREE 


PERSONALITY,  NATURE,  REVEALED  WORD 


The  tree  stood  somewhat  in  the  shade,  as  the  thick 
groves  of  damsons  hemmed  it  in  on  two  sides,  while  the 
thorn  hedge  on  the  third  side  terminated  at  scarcely  a 
respectful  distance  from  it.  Many  pocketfuls  of  the  best 
specimens  went  into  mother's  bureau  drawer  and,  after 
mellowing,  on  plates  to  visitors.  I  have  hope  that  this 
apple  tree  is  still  alive,  as  they  live  in  this  land  a  century, 
while  the  plum  tree  averages  about  twenty  years. 

In  this  pretty  shadowy  slope  and  breast  of  green,  over- 
hanging with  leafy  odors,  touched  here  and  there  lay  smiles 
to  lighten  the  reader's  page  where  we  often  went  to  read. 

Beneath  this  orchard's  bending  tree 

Four  smiling  sisters  stood, 
All  like  the  fruit  they  gathered  of — 

Fair,  rosy,  fresh  and  good. 

The  sons,  and  better  still  the  daughters,  did  not  care 
for  the  shallowness  of  social  life.  They  were  happy  in 
what  they  had  in  the  home  and  did  not  attach  values  to  or 
crave  smiles  which  end  in  shadows.  The  home  was  the 
center  of  life  to  them.  There  was  no  smell  of  tobacco 
about  the  flowers  and  clovers,  but  all  were  free  to  be  happy 
and  develop  a  preference  of  their  own  to  impart  true  and 
lasting  gentleness  in  natural  graces  along  the  pathway 
of  their  lives.  Many  an  hour  was  spent  in  the  shade  on  a 
Sabbath  afternoon  with  book  or  the  Christian  Messenger 
in  hand. 

The  more  freely  we  have  admitted  God's  thoughts  and 
love  expressed  in  nature,  the  more  freely  has  the  sectarian- 
ism we  have  invested  in  Christianity,  and  the  imperious 
character  we  held  of  God,  been  melted  into  sympathy  and 
love  to  men.  God  is  a  practical  gardener,  and  planted  a 
garden  eastward  in  Eden,  so  He  has  something  to  do  with 
good  gardens  to-day.    It  pays  to  let  nature  have  a  chance 

69 


HOME-MAKING  AND  ITS  PHILOSOPHY 


to  do  some  of  your  preaching  for  you.  Increase  the  trees 
in  new  arrangements  about  the  home  for  birds  to  sing  in, 
and  the  orchard  trees  for  the  orioles  to  swing  their  cradles 
in.  This  educates  the  boys  and  girls.  In  those  delightful 
early  days  we  never  felt  the  need  of  going  to  a  schoolroom 
indoors.  We  had  our  bugs  and  butterflies,  and  I  would 
rather  be  filled  to  the  brim  with  those  things,  seen  and 
heard  and  understood,  than  with  etymology  and  prosody 
taught  there  with  the  birch,  renewed  day  by  day.  These 
memories  renew  the  crosscut  hopes  of  always  living  there. 

Father  ordered  a  bale  of  young  apple  trees  from  Roches- 
ter Nurseries,  New  York,  about  1850.  Some  of  these 
were  Jennettings  and  Russets,  and  bore  large  apples. 
These  were  the  first  grafted  apple  trees  sold  there.  I 
remember  grandmother  employing  William  Whippy,  who 
had  some  grafting  practice,  to  top  some  seedlings  in  her 
garden.  He  also  brought  a  few  grafted  crab  apples  from 
his  nursery  plot  and  planted  them  on  the  north  side  of 
their  new  garden. 

A  man  who  does  not  love  trees  and  flowers  and  music 
has  not  completed  his  education,  nor  will  he  ever  have 
power  with  those  who  do.  These  efforts  were  useful  lessons 
and  taught  us  to  love  and  value  trees  not  only  for  their 
fruit  but  for  their  beauty  and  grateful  shade. 

Father  built  a  new  piggery  back  of  the  "Red  House." 
It  had  a  good  cellar.  One  April  morning  the  boys  went 
to  the  pen  and  in  surprise  found  the  winter  stock  had  mul- 
tiplied by  twelve,  and  a  busy  lot  of  white  porkers  were  work- 
ing as  if  their  lives  depended  on  it.  But  they  grew  and 
grew  like  goslings,  until  half  a  dozen  of  them  filled  the 
pen,  and  they  too  went  where  all  their  progenitors  had 
gone,  or  were  on  their  way. 

The  four-bushel  boiler  and  furnace  were  placed  in  the 

7° 


PERSONALITY,  NATURE,  REVEALED  WORD 


center  of  the  piggery  and  the  pens  in  the  further  end.  Here 
were  stored  the  garden  tools  and  the  carpenters  bench 
against  the  wall,  and  on  the  wall  or  in  the  rack  were  the 
spokeshave — seldom  used,  the  various  augers,  planes,  hand- 
saws, nail-box  and  hammer,  and  each  after  use  must  find 
its  place  by  means  of  boys  or  give  a  reason  why.  My  memory 
sweetly  carries  me  back  to  little-boy  days,  two  feet  long,  when 
father  asked  me  to  go  and  bring  to  him  a  three-quarter-inch 
auger.  I  found  it  too  difficult  to  select  the  size  he  wanted, 
or  get  the  idea  of  it  in  my  head.  But  when  he  told  me  the 
handle  was  as  long  as  my  short  arm  from  the  shoulder  down 
and  as  big  round  as  my  little  wrist,  while  he  held  my  hand,  I 
brought  the  right  one  to  him.  We  liked  to  be  about  when 
the  tools  were  used,  to  see  the  borings  or  the  chips.  The 
ash-hopper  stood  near  the  house  side,  just  where  mother 
wished  it,  and  she  was  the  only  one  who  claimed  its  allegi- 
ance once  a  year,  and  it  was  not  withheld.  It  was  funnel 
shaped  and  held  ten  bushels  of  hardwood  ashes,  and  she 
said  the  maple  made  the  best,  and  oftentimes  father  bought 
them  from  a  farmer.  Into  the  hopper  we  poured  hot 
water  that  ran  down  in  lye,  which  after  boiling  there  was 
kept  in  the  soft-soap  barrel.  This  was  before  the  manu- 
facture of  hard  soaps  in  the  Province,  and  under  grand- 
mother and  mother's  supervision  the  household  soaps 
were  made  for  many  a  year.  The  leached  ashes  were 
spread  on  the  land  for  fertilizing, 


7i 


CHAPTER  X 


ROADSIDE  TREES—EVERT  TREE  A  TEACHER 

IN  BOYHOOD  our  most  delightful  lessons  came  from 
wandering  about  under  the  maple  groves  with  sweet- 
ened pails  in  hand,  over  the  hills,  and  down  the  brook 
runs  choked  with  leaves  so  soft  to  tread  upon  (see  en- 
graving) or  starting  a  pair  of  partridges  which  had  quietly 
waited  our  nearer  coming;  or  watching  a  porcupine  quickly 
climb  a  tree  beyond  the  reach  of  missiles  and  tamely  look  upon 
us;  or  following  the  long  lines  of  roadside  trees  of  stately  firs, 
so  richly  clad  in  tints  and  coloring;  by  the  hawthorn  hedges, 
dressed  in  whiteness  on  the  roadsides;  and  looking  over 
the  large  green  fields  until  the  scene  took  us  in  charge. 
The  birds  lived  in  those  hedgerows  and  sang  us  into  splendid 
company  for  many  an  hour. 

The  gray  schoolhouse  stood  near  the  highway  on  Uncle 
Samuel's  west  line,  and  about  one-quarter  of  a  mile  from 
home.  The  roadsides  across  the  farm  were  planted  with 
trees  early  in  farm  making.  There  were  no  trees  left  stand- 
ing from  forest  cutting.  Beginning  nearly  opposite  the 
schoolhouse  were  planted  nearly  two  hundred  balsam 
firs,  two  or  three  feet  apart,  and  they  had  grown  without 
hedging  almost  seventy-five  feet  high  from  terminal  bud 
to  ground,  and  well  branched.  They  ran  on  the  opposite 
side  of  the  street  in  front  of  Uncle  Samuel's  garden.  They 
naturally  grow  even  and  regular,  and  were  left  alone  by 
the  boys  because  of  the  numerous  chambers  of  liquid  balsam 
on  the  bark  of  both  trunks  and  branches.  They  were 
exceedingly  pretty  trees  with  blue  and  purple  shadings, 
which  kept  making  varying  tints  throughout  the  year.  They 
have  finer,  softer  figures  and  deeper  emeralds  than  their 
cousins,  the  spruces.    In  long  roadside  rows  gently  curving 

72 


ROADSIDE  TREES—EVERT  TREE  A  TEACHER 


the  highway,  they  form  pleasing  impressions  in  new  swerv- 
ing sky  lines. 

These  were  followed  by  two  hundred  balm  of  gilead 
trees,  the  best  of  this  family  for  streets  or  homesteads.  They 
had  grown  up  and  were  in  company  with  the  firs  in  the 
sky  lines.  Then  followed  a  family  willow  or  two,  separated 
by  a  field  gate,  and  directly  opposite  were  more  willows 
in  a  row. 

Sometimes  we  sat  under  the  hedgerows  either  singly 
or  in  groups,  chewing  the  red  fruit  of  the  thorns,  thinking 
of  our  futures.  Into  all  these  dreams  went  a  good  deal 
of  this  valley  scenery,  and  it  has  stayed  there  ever  since. 
We  have  roamed  into  many  places,  with  a  merited  reputa- 
tion for  the  beautiful,  but  our  birthright  scenes  have  lost 
no  charm.  Our  mother  led  us  by  the  hand  in  baby  days, 
picking  the  pretty  wild  flowers  or  strawberries  in  the  grass, 
and  the  plants  grew  life-ful  by  our  finding  out  their  names 
and  purposes. 

At  the  end  of  these  two  hundred  poplars,  across  the 
road  was  uncle's  big  barn,  with  open  cellar,  facing  the 
road  and  a  veritable  bugaboo  to  children  passing  after 
dark.  I  was  never  alarmed  yet  I  kept  up  a  smart  walk 
and  directed  an  eye  towards  the  dark  opening  as  I  passed 
along.  I  have  heard  of  boys  running  by,  but  they  did  not 
belong  to  our  family.  Of  course  tricks  have  been  played 
there.  Our  cousin  Anna  was  once  coming  from  the  post 
office,  when  a  young  fellow  from  the  hills  stepped  into 
the  dark  entrance  and  as  she  was  passing  uttered  some 
unearthly  noise;  she  flew  into  the  house  out  of  breath  and 
almost  fainting.  The  fact  is,  such  places  should  not  be 
permitted  to  be  open  to  create  a  fear  in  children.  Near 
the  barn  was  a  big  willow  and  under  it  a  broad  barn  gate. 
This  tree  was  joined  in  roadside  line  by  fifty  furzes  which 

73 


HOME-MAKING  AND  ITS  PHILOSOPHY 


shot  in  pride  far,  far  above  their  humbler,  wide-protecting 
neighbor.  At  their  terminal  began  on  both  roadsides 
white  flowering  hawthorn  hedges,  the  plants  for  which 
came  from  dear  old  England.  Nature  had  lifted  the  road 
between  the  hedgerows  a  few  feet,  along  a  level  center 
running  six  hundred  feet  or  more,  to  give  the  carriage  riders 
a  loftier  view.  At  both  ends  of  the  hawthorns  were  a  few 
apple  trees  and  they  too  were  lovely,  dressed  in  pink  and 
white,  and  were  ever  our  June  delight. 

They  did  things  so  kindly, 

It  seemed  their  hearts'  delight 
To  make  the  children  happy 

From  morning  until  night. 

The  thorn  hedge  ran  to  our  plum  garden,  and  directly 
across  the  road  from  the  plum  grove  stood  fifty  balms, 
extending  east  in  a  row  to  a  point  in  our  river  prospect 
that  gave  us  the  widest  view  of  the  farm  from  the  terrace 
wall.  These  balms  had  great  overarching  boughs  which 
cast  their  shadows  far  over  the  road  and  field.  The  old 
road  beyond  the  buildings  over  the  hill  had  been  planted 
with  poplars,  but  in  the  making  of  the  new  road  around 
the  curves  they  were  cut  away.  Within  our  house's  view 
hung  our  field  gate,  with  two  guardian  willows  one 
on  each  side,  while  opposite  on  the  house  side,  near  the 
brook  and  at  right  angles  to  it,  were  seven  giant  willows — 
the  farm  pride. 

The  sheep  and  lambs  would  lie  on  each  side  of  the  brook 
in  the  cooling  shade  and  rest  in  comfort.  If  the  individual 
history  of  all  the  trees  could  be  written,  with  all  the  good 
they  have  done  to  the  animal  world  and  to  human  kind, 
few  philanthropists  would  compare  with  them. 

Grandfather  had  planted  a  roadside  orchard  for  the 
boys  and  it  turned  out  to  be  a  good  investment,  for  the 

74 


ROADSIDE  TREES —EVERT  TREE  A  TEACHER 


boys  shook  them  clean  year  by  year.  What  are  fathers 
and  mothers  working  for  but  for  their  children  ?  If  they 
are  to  be  more  refined  and  intellectual  than  their  parents 
they  will  eat  less  meat  and  more  fruit  than  we.  In  the 
autumn  days  at  school  recess,  Uncle  Samuel,  with  a  large 
basket  of  apples  on  his  arm,  would  appear  and  throw  them 
at  the  boys  to  catch.  It  was  better  than  baseball  to  watch 
the  scrambling  of  forty  or  fifty  children,  doing  their  best 
to  catch  them. 

The  rich  fragrance  of  the  white  thorn  was  by  far  the 
best  of  the  family,  and  the  pinks  of  the  wild  apple  made 
this  bordered  drive  longer,  it  being  the  habit  of  people  to  bring 
the  horse  to  a  walk  to  prolong  the  fragrance.  Our  river  pros- 
pect had  kept  the  poplars  back  to  the  point  of  nature's  har- 
mony. It  was  behind  these,  in  the  spring  coming  of  the  birds 
on  the  grassy  turf,  that  the  first  great  company  of  robins  came 
to  see  us  and  rest  awhile.  How  friendly  acting  they  were. 
They  knew  us  once  again.  They  seemed  to  have  a  human 
interest  in  us  as  we  would  stand  and  watch  them.  Their 
fine  military  bearing  commanded  and  possessed  us.  We 
were  sure  of  spring  when  they  arrived.  Their  dancing 
and  cheerful  chirping  while  running  on  the  grass  for  closer 
talk  with  us  pleased  the  children's  fancy  and  made  us 
instant  friends.  Perhaps  we  had  scattered  some  crumbs, 
or  fed  their  open  beaks  in  the  last  year's  nest.  The  young 
remember  more  than  we  think  they  do.  They  would 
run  as  if  they  were  coming  towards  us  all  the  way,  but 
suddenly  would  stop,  and  why  ?  We  were  dressed  in 
another  suit  since  last  year.  Had  they  lost  confidence 
in  us  ?  We  used  to  think  the  same  birds  came  to  the  last 
year's  nest,  with  a  homing  instinct  just  as  we.  They 
seemed  to  know  the  place  and  say,  "Here  at  home 
again." 

75 


HOME-MAKING  AND  ITS  PHILOSOPHY 


Oh,  to  be  a  robin  in  the  Spring! 
Just  to  swing  and  sway  and  dangle, 
Far  from  earth  and  all  its  tangle, 
Homing  in  the  gay  bird  jangle 

With  a  zest — and  just  to  sing. 

The  hopping  and  flitting  through  the  leafless  branches 
was  full  of  merriment  of  vernal  bliss.  The  love  notes 
of  mating  and  nesting  pointed  to  the  turn-tide  of  the  season, 
when  life  and  light  on  the  farm  swiftly  start  to  rise.  We 
loved  these  birds  as  no  others.  Their  red  breasts  were 
crests  and  swelled  suddenly  with  melodious  life.  They 
sounded  their  hopeful  notes  in  the  breasts  of  the  people. 
We  caught  their  melody  and  rushed  the  spring  seeding 
of  the  farm. 

In  dim  recollection,  possibly  I  was  told  it,  one  beautiful 
afternoon  mother  took  her  eldest  baby  boy  by  the  hand 
for  a  walk  to  the  mills,  through  the  fields,  over  the  river, 
up  past  the  sugar  camp  and  wood  path  by  the  Porcupine 
Den,  to  Deacon  James  Archibald's,  to  spend  the  after- 
noon and  take  tea.    Little  boys  with  short  legs  are  poor 
walkers.    We  had  only  just  arrived  when  I  pleaded  with 
mother  to  go  home,  the  only  good  place  for  tired  people. 
I  was  given  something  about  the  door  to  play  with,  but  I 
was  played  out;  and  failing  to  get  mother  to  come,  I  started 
alone.    Wood  paths  made  nice  walks  for  one,  and  I  chose 
one  that  led  into  the  deep  woods,  and  here  I  began  to  cry 
as  children  do  who  lose  their  mother — and  even  grown  up 
ones,  too.    Soon  I  was  missed,  and  vain  was  the  search. 
Two  large  mill  ponds  were  there,  and  it  was  feared  that 
I  had  fallen  in.    The  mills  were  stopped  and  the  men 
took  up  the  search.    We  may  imagine  the  feelings  of  a 
mother  as  time  passed  and  deepened  the  suspense  and 
danger.    How  long  they  searched  is  not  known,  but  one 

76 


ROADSIDE  TREES— EVERT  TREE  A  TEACHER 


to  two  hours  at  least.  It  chanced  that  evening  that  Annie 
Whippy  went  for  the  cows,  and  as  she  heard  the  bell  she 
thought  she  heard  a  cry.  Wild  cats  were  numerous  in 
those  days,  and  knowing  they  imitated  a  child's  cry  she 
guardedly  advanced  towards  the  cows  and  in  the  direction 
of  the  cry.  She  found  me  and  took  me  in  her  arms  and 
carried  me  to  mother.  How  she  knew  whose  child  I  was 
does  not  appear.  There  must  have  been  great  joy  after 
so  perilous  a  separation. 

It  is  now  I  feel  the  deepest  regrets  for  having  strayed 
and  caused  my  truest  friend  so  much  anxiety.  I  have 
been  in  the  woods  much  since  then,  but  never  lost.  True 
life  in  the  large  must  have  begun  to  express  my  being  then 
as  an  inheritance,  for  I  love  the  trees  next  to  the  human. 

Shortly  after  our  grandparents  moved  to  their  new 
white  house,  they  adopted  their  granddaughter  Anna 
Green,  who  was  named  for  mother  and  who  remained 
with  them  until  1859.  She  went  to  the  normal  school  at 
Truro,  and  then  to  teaching,  and  afterwards  married  at 
Hebron,  Yarmouth. 

When  Cousin  Anna  graduated  at  the  normal  school 
and  came  for  a  visit  she  sang  the  following  lines  to  us, 
and  we  learned  to  sing  them  then,  but  I  have  never  seen 
the  words  in  print.  I  not  only  give  them  for  mother  and 
her  namesake  and  the  "days  of  auld  lang  syne,"  but  to 
bring  the  beautiful  lines  into  print, 

"Mother,  dear,  I'm  thinking  of  you," 

Said  a  beautiful  child  with  bright  blue  eyes, 
"You  said  if  I  were  good  and  kind 

I'd  one  day  meet  you  in  the  skies." 
"My  darling  child,"  she  sweetly  said, 

"There  is  a  balm,  a  better  land." 
"Why  mother,  dear,  see  from  your  eyes 

Those  little  raindrops  trickling  down!" 

77 


HOME-MAKING  AND  ITS  PHILOSOPHY 


Refrain:    Though  many  years  have  passed  since  then, 
And  many  friends  proved  kind  and  true, 
I  never  see  the  raindrops  fall 

But,  mother,  dear,  I'm  thinking  of  you. 

"Mother,  dear,  I'm  thinking  of  you," 

Said  an  old  man  whose  life  was  wasting  away. 

"Why,  grandpa,  dear,  what  makes  you  cry  ? 

I'll  drive  those  little  tears  away." 
"No,  no,  my  child,  I'm  thinking  now 

Of  mother,  dear,  in  heaven,  they  say." 


78 


CHAPTER  XI 


LOOKING  THROUGH  AN  OPEN  WINDOW 

WHERE  the  river  bridge  now  stands,  father  had 
placed  a  hewn  tree  from  high  bank  to  bank  for 
a  foot-bridge,  and  one  end  of  this  was  too  narrow 
for  little  children.  We  trembled  at  the  thought  of  crossing 
long  before  we  came  to  it.  But  father  stretched  out  his 
hand  and  we  "sidled"  over,  while  our  fearful  hearts  were 
in  our  mouths,  or  we  seized  his  coat  or  waistband  as  he 
moved  slowly  to  suit  our  steps.  Our  heads  grew  dizzy  as 
we  looked  upon  the  running  water.  But  all  this  happened 
before  the  day  of  looking  up  or  straight  ahead.  But  in 
those  days  we  had  nothing  to  do  but  be  happy,  and  so  it 
was  a  love  of  nature  that  went  into  our  making,  along  with 
foot-bridges  and  running  rivers. 

Our  brook  was  unruly  at  heavy  rains  and  would  over- 
flow its  banks  and  carry  gravel  to  the  fields.  Father  had 
curbed  its  free  action  by  staking  each  side  with  fresh-cut 
willow  stakes  four  feet  long,  sharpening  one  end  and  driving 
them  into  the  ground  two  feet  apart,  in  the  early  spring 
when  the  ground  was  soft.  Its  length,  a  thousand  straight 
yards,  was  improved  by  the  rapidly  growing  willow  heads 
bowing  outward  and  overcoming  the  lack  of  beauty  of  a 
straight  line.  (See  farm  scene.)  These  willows  accentu- 
ated the  farm  view,  while  presenting  a  new  landscape 
line  tipped  with  golden  catkins  most  beautiful  in  the  sun's 
sparkling  showers. 

When  driven  from  the  fields  by  spring  showers  we  sat 
by  the  open  windows,  looking  on  the  scene,  always  changing 
because  the  willows  grew  so  fast  with  the  brook  water 
ever  sieving  to  their  roots,  which  the  feeling  willows  loved 
so  much.    Our  willows  and  our  robins  were  our  closest 

79 


HOME-MAKING  AND  ITS  PHILOSOPHY 


friends,  and  we  loved  to  go  to  them  or  have  them  come 
to  us.  In  this  refreshing  hour  the  bobolinks  brought  their 
hilarity  songs  into  the  sunning  mist,  and  robins  and  wood- 
thrushes  and  blackbirds  were  perching  apart  in  the  long 
willow  growths,  making  a  chorus  of  clear  whistling  notes 
from  throats  gladdened  by  the  warmth  of  spring  and  the 
pendent  dews  encircling  them.  As  their  notes  came  singly 
or  in  chorus  through  the  open  windows  the  effect  was  some- 
times wonderful  in  stirring  within  us  a  flow  of  feelings  really 
new  to  ourselves,  perhaps  partly  because  the  singers  had 
not  been  trained  to  keep  time  together.  Still,  whether  it 
was  single  or  triple  melody  our  thoughts  were  kept  afloat 
by  new  ones  they  touched  till  sweet  reflections  filled  us  as 
their  songs  did  the  air.  They  hopped  from  twig  to  twig 
to  nearer  twigs  and  sang  their  little  roundelays  unbroken 
by  any  chirrup  of  alarm. 

The  wild  pears  and  plums  and  cherries  like  first  pledges 
came  earliest  with  their  snowy  heads  of  bloom,  and  dotting 
the  edges  of  our  landscape  feasted  the  senses  of  smell  and 
sight.  These  were  followed  by  the  bush  cranberry,  with 
its  showy  panicles;  the  woodland  aspens  or  popple,  small 
as  they  were,  graying  a  forest  of  giants,  or  the  blood-red 
buds  of  the  maple  shading  the  picture  to  a  lively  light. 
There  is  no  color  or  shade,  no  feeling  or  thought,  no  mood 
or  uplift,  no  sympathy  or  harmony,  no  looking  up  or  look- 
ing down,  no  quickening  or  contemplation,  no  hospitality 
or  meditation  in  man,  but  has  its  suggestive  counterpart 
in  the  feathered  people  and  sheavy  trees  of  our  woodlands. 

The  river,  full  to  the  brim  and  loving  freedom,  zigzagged 
its  way  a  bit,  and  as  if  moved  by  some  hidden  spirit  of 
the  wilds  started  towards  our  house  as  if  to  overflow  us  all; 
but  it  stopped  at  the  heavy  bank  as  if  met  by  the  obstacles 
of  man,  turned  aside  the  other  way,  moving  slowly  as  if  in 

80 


LOOKING  THROUGH  AN  OPEN  WINDOW 


thought,  and  gaining  purpose  straightened  out  again  and 
ran  with  sheer  force  of  down  momentum  against  the  bank 
of  a  knoll,  and  again  turning  towards  us  with  fuss  and  force 
it  received  tributary  strength  from  our  brook  and  spring, 
and  then  left  us  for  the  farm  below.  The  earth  below 
it  was  firm,  and  siftings  of  the  world  were  packed  in  clay, 
and  while  it  rested  here  the  salmon  trout  went  down  for 
food  and  found  it  waiting  for  their  call.  They  gamboled 
round,  moving  through  the  Waters  in  swift,  curving  lines. 
They  looked  up  for  something  new  in  wiggling  worm, 
and  this  sweet  morsel  toned  the  shock  of  footsteps  above, 
and  they  were  hooked.  We  saw  the  river  between  the 
side-line  fringes  of  the  farm  through  the  open  doors  and 
windows. 

The  sun's  smiles  spread  quickly  over  the  face  of  nature, 
the  dews  dried  away,  and  we  went  to  work  again.  A  regal 
pride  of  home,  in  home,  and  for  the  home  naturally  grew 
within  us,  and  was  an  added  reason  for  cherishing  a  place 
and  family  name  by  men  who  laid  their  powers  and  noblest 
purposes  on  the  upper  side  of  human  life. 

In  the  springtime  the  earth  is  earthy  with  wholesome 
odors.  July  is  rich  with  the  redolence  of  new-mown  grasses 
and  sweet-scented  nosegays.  For  here  were  fifty  tons  of 
fragrance  swelling  to  the  nostrils  in  the  sweet-scented 
hay  the  cattle  loved  to  chew  and  cud  again,  and  we  to 
fork  so  well.  August  carried  gilded  grains  in  gold  and 
bearded  barley  to  the  barns.  Father  raised  one  hundred 
bushels  of  barley  yearly,  and  ever  gave  to  us  with  a  generous 
hand  after  mother's  baking.  The  grocer  might  run  out 
of  sugar,  but  our  farm  never  ran  out  of  barley,  or  the 
household  of  bread.  September  and  October  abounded  in 
apples  and  plums  in  our  pockets  and  scintillating  sunshine 
overhead.  Then  was  the  tide  of  impelling  climax  in  grate- 
Si 


HOME-MAKING  AND  ITS  PHILOSOPHY 


ful  cheer,  with  Thanksgiving  early  in  November  for  rewards 
of  toil,  and  the  inspring  of  implanted  hospitality  expressed 
in  the  ever  open  hands  stretched  to  kin  and  friend  and  all 
who  came  our  way. 

Our  Indian  summers,  with  glints  and  glistenings  and 
shimmering  sunlight  tinting  the  meadows,  gave  us  the  last 
and  best  of  summer  in  bright  farewells,  and  gentleness  and 
thankfulness  were  expressed  for  nature's  bestowal.  The 
dinner  of  thanks  was  spiced  with  finely  sliced  apples  in 
pies  or  puddings,  great  and  large.  Our  mother  was  not 
blind  to  the  tasty  skill  that  could  utilize  the  seeping  flavors 
of  garden  mints  and  onions.  In  these  golden  autumn  even- 
ings each  of  us  saw  the  turkeys  and  the  full-grown  chickens 
flying  into  the  highest  branches  for  safety  following  observa- 
tions, or  the  flock  of  young  geese,  led  by  the  knowing  gander, 
sail  off  adown  the  streams. 

In  the  midst  of  these  nature  activities  we  had  great 
opportunities  to  receive  lasting  impressions  which  gave 
us  a  spur.  The  generous  qualities  were  fanned  by  the 
breezes.  All  nature  was  put  in  tribute  to  incite  our  ambi- 
tion, and  hope  and  Heaven  were  the  distant  goal. 

One  autumn,  black  bears  came  into  the  oat  fields  on 
the  upper  interval  near  the  woods  at  night,  and  tramped 
or  rolled  and  ate  to  their  content.  Father  proposed  to  his 
man  that  they  should  make  their  bed  in  the  branches  of  a 
large,  low-growing  spruce  standing  near  the  edge  of  the 
Annand  farm  line,  and  watch  for  the  bears.  This  they 
agreed  to  do.  The  flint  muskets,  relics  of  England's  glory, 
were  cleaned  and  loaded  with  bullets  of  their  own  making. 
The  platform  was  in  the  branches  and,  like  Napoleon,  they 
awaited  the  attack  boldly  by  cutting  off  their  own  earth- 
ward retreat.  Aeroplanes  with  wings  were  unknown  in 
those  days.    The  muskets  were  to  be  primed  after  ascend- 

82 


LOOKING  THROUGH  AN  OPEN  WINDOW 


ing  to  the  platform,  where  guard  was  maintained  through 
the  night. 

We  children  were  all  aglee  at  the  prospects  of  the  slain, 
for  we  had  not  yet  been  taught  to  love  the  (Teddy)  bears 
as  the  children  do  these  days.  In  the  wee  small  hours 
of  the  morning  they  returned  to  tell  us  at  breakfast  that 
they  heard  about  midnight  a  sniffing  and  a  snuffing  in  the 
forest  darkness,  and  then  they  heard  no  more.  They 
took  the  powder  from  the  pans  after  they  were  well  away 
from  the  woods.  The  cunningness  of  the  bear  is  shown, 
as  none  ever  returned  to  the  field  again.  To-day  we  almost 
feel  glad  their  bearships  escaped,  for  humanity  to  the  wild 
animals  has  full  possession  of  us. 

On  Sabbath  mornings  the  boys  were  dressed  in  white 
shirts  out  of  respect  for  the  day  and  for  church.  The 
girls  had  all  the  ribbons  and  braids  and  whites,  and  looked 
especially  pink  and  neat  this  morning.  The  rule  was  to 
sleep  an  hour  late  Sabbath  morning  and  the  cows  to  leisurely 
wait  our  coming,  but  this  hour  sometimes  ran  to  ninety 
minutes  and  the  cows  had  moved  to  the  bars.  There  were 
always  a  few  minutes  to  learn  a  few  verses  on  the  Sabbath 
school  lesson  or  a  psalm  or  hymn,  or  to  read,  but  never 
to  be  indolent.  We  are  still  picturing  that  deeper,  wider 
life  which  seemed  never  to  forsake  our  parents  and  which 
they  sought  to  convey  to  us.  In  this  they  bequeathed  to 
us  a  strain  of  independence  and  indifference  to  the  world's 
badge  of  success,  and  yet  we  love  success  above  the  average 
man.  Our  trusting  natures  have  sometimes  been  sadly 
betrayed.  How  much  good  our  parents  did  they  never 
saw  or  realized.    Time  and  eternity  only  will  disclose. 

Mother  was  very  desirous  of  having  a  new  house,  and 
in  this  she  did  not  differ  from  the  ordinary  woman,  who 
wishes  to  have  her  surroundings  pleasant  and  comfortable. 

83 


HOME-MAKING  AND  ITS  PHILOSOPHY 


The  children  happily  enjoyed  the  entertaining  talk  with 
father,  who  must  have  enjoyed  it  too,  though  it  was  not 
clear  to  him  when  the  house  could  be  built.  But  it  was 
a  pleasant  anticipation  for  the  children.  I  think  mother 
had  some  dreaming,  too,  though  we  regret  for  her  sake 
that  she  did  not  live  to  see  it  built.  All  agreed  that  the 
house  site  was  good.  They  would  either  move  the  "Red 
House"  off  or  take  it  down  and  build  on  the  old  cellar — 
and  why  ?  It  would  be  a  pity  to  lose  the  earliest  and  finest 
row  of  rhubarb  along  the  front  length  of  the  house.  It 
made  a  massive  border  and  an  immensity  of  early  sauce. 
The  two  large  clumps  of  purple  lilacs  near  the  facial  corner 
were  in  the  right  spots  to  set  off  a  new  house  and  over- 
poweringly  fragrant  to  fill  it  and  the  garden,  too,  with 
their  aromas.  We  were  fond  of  breaking  the  spikes  into 
bouquets,  and  mother  would  gaily  say,  "Is  there  not  enough 
odor  now  coming  through  the  open  doors  and  windows?" 
Grandfather's  new  garden  was  neatly  plotted  in  walks 
and  squares,  with  one  broad  walk  from  the  garden  gate 
running  to  meet  an  apple  tree  at  the  further  edge.  All 
the  tansies  and  mints,  herbal  or  medicinal,  bitter  or  sweet, 
useful  or  dangerous,  we  had  reason  to  test  if  a  pain  or  an 
ache  or  a  fever  or  a  chill  or  a  symptom  appeared.  They 
were  gathered  on  a  fine  day  and  hung  in  bunches  in  the 
garret  to  dry,  without  labeling,  and  I  strongly  suspect 
many  a  bitter  steeping  was  made  where  sweet  was  intended. 
Thanks  to  healthful  inheritance  we  recovered. 

The  writer  cannot  pass  from  this  subject  without  refer- 
ence to  a  serious  importation  by  an  otherwise  influential 
and  highly  respectable  Halifax  house  in  stationery. 

The  etceteras  included  a  new  herbal  pill  made  in  Eng- 
land and  put  up  in  neat  oblong  boxes  with  an  attractive 
label,  and  in  two  grades,  marked  number  one  and  number 

8+ 


LOOKING  THROUGH  AN  OPEN  WINDOW 


two.    It  is  fifty  years  since  I  have  been  near  a  box  of  them, 

but  the  appearance  both  outside  and  inside  is  "awfully" 

vivid  now.    Their  color  was  a  pepperv  gray  and  they  were 

of  the  size  of  the  old-fashioned  held  pea.    Father  had 

business  with  this  firm,  and  they  gave  a  large  volume  or 

two  bound  in  cloth  of  the  pill-makers'  writings,  and  if  I 

recollect  correctly  a  sample  box  or  two  of  the  " Herbs." 

One  of  the  books  was  half  the  size  of  a  large  family  Bible, 

printed  in  large,  clear  type,  and  somehow  our  folks  believed 

in  vegetable  pills,  and  we  had  to  sample  them.  They 

worked  well;  we  got  better.    We  feared  a  repetition.  But 

if  we  looked  feverish  or  a  pimple  or  a  boil  appeared  our 

blood   needed   a   cleansing.    \\  e  thought  we  were  well 

©  © 

enough,  but  mother  would  bribe  us  with  a  spoonful  of  her 

lovely  damsons  or  raspberry  and  ask  us  to  delay  no  longer; 

or  an  appeal  to  be  brave  like  George  with  the  wasps  would 

be  made,  and  down  they  had  to  go,  after  the  courage  rose. 

I  would  rather  the  wood  box  had  downed  them  than  me, 

though  they  cost  nearly  a  half  penny  apiece.    Oh,  the 

memories  hidden  in  number  two.    Our  parents  gave  them 

for  our  good,  but  the  pill-makers  will  receive  an  eternity 

of  punishment  to  merit  their  freedom. 

The  weather-stained    schoolhouse  was  cottage  roofed 

and  thatched  with  shaved  pine.    It  seated  forty  to  fifty 

children  of  average  age,  and  if  the  children  liked  the  teacher 
©     ©  ' 

an  extra  ten  would  sit  on  a  soft  plank  against  a  piece  of 
vacant  wall.  We  went  home  to  dinner,  a  practice  which 
was  of  immeasurable  value.  We  not  only  enjoyed  a  warm 
dinner,  but  we  were  brought  under  good  influences  of  the 
home  and  saved  from  the  evil  influences  of  some  of  our 
companions.    Thus  the  home  training  was  kept  paramount. 

One  of  my  early  teachers  was  Miss  Alice  Archibald, 
and  well  I  recall  the  picnic  she  provided  for  us  one  summer 

85 


HOME-MAKING  AND  ITS  PHILOSOPHY 


afternoon  to  the  Annand  hills  and  raspberry  gardens  over 
the  river.  Miss  Archibald  and  the  girls  crossed  our  bridge, 
but  most  of  us  went  into  the  Annand  pasture  below  the 
road  and  forded  the  shallow  waters.  At  the  close  of  the 
school  year's  engagement  Uncle  Samuel  and  she  were 
married,  and  were  neighbors  of  the  school  and  of  ourselves. 


86 


CHAPTER  XII 


WORK  OUR  NATURAL  HERITAGE 

OUR  community  had  a  strong  regard  for  education, 
and  many  enthusiastic  men  were  numbered  among 
its  supporters.  Teachers  were  employed  by  the 
year,  and  the  strength  and  character  of  many  of  the  male 
teachers  advanced  the  schools  immeasurably.  James  Mur- 
ray of  Pictou  and  Robert  Colquohoun  of  Shelburne  stand 
out  as  leaders.  Both  of  these  had  classes  in  Latin  and 
French.  Discipline  was  enforced  by  an  emphasized  ad- 
dress followed  by  the  birch  or  by  standing  the  delinquent 
in  a  corner,  a  spot  reserved  against  all  contingencies. 

Memory  played  an  important  part  in  most  of  our  studies 
— as  it  still  does — with  the  notable  exceptions  of  mathe- 
matics and  science.  The  days  seemed  long  then,  trying 
to  learn  things  we  did  not  understand.  Of  the  influences 
of  home  compared  with  school,  the  home  far  overweighs 
the  school  in  the  making  of  men.  One  is  the  handmaid 
of  the  other.  There  were  many  reasons  why  we  liked  the 
gray  schoolhouse,  a  notable  reason  being  the  fact  that  in 
our  family  were  afterwards  seven  teachers.  So  when  father 
bought  it  for  five  pounds  sterling  and  the  men  of  the  district 
turned  out  with  teams  to  haul  it  to  our  yard  for  a  wood- 
house,  we  were  glad.  It  certainly  did  not  quite  suit  its 
new  location,  nor  add  any  beauty  to  the  home  grounds. 
Many  names  were  cut  in  the  wood  work,  both  inside  and 
out,  and  are  one  class  of  immortals. 

During  Mr.  Little's  regime  one  of  my  deskmates  was 
Sam  Burris.  Sam  and  I  progressed  in  arithmetic.  His 
life  has  been  a  success  and  our  friendship  has  lasted. 

His  father,  Matthew  Burris,  married  a  Miss  Archibald,  of 
Deacontown.    The  names  of  the  children  were  William, 

87 


HOME-MAKING  AND  ITS  PHILOSOPHY 


Sarah,  Samuel,  Olive,  John,  George,  Jane,  and  they  were 
schoolmates.  At  the  Archibald's  Mills  James  Archibald's 
children  were  Mary,  Adam,  Maggie  and  Ella;  Matthew 
Archibald's,  Sarah,  William,  Maggie,  Jonathan,  Emma, 
Mollie,  Neil  and  David,  and  these  (three)  families  were  our 
schoolmates  for  many  years. 

The  boys  were  fond  of  swimming  during  the  noon 
hour,  but  the  farmers  were  unwilling  to  allow  a  crowd 
of  them  to  travel  through  the  fields  to  reach  the  river.  As 
a  last  resort  to  keep  from  the  grass,  we  undertook  to  walk 
in  file  the  pole  fence  before  the  schoolhouse,  one-eighth 
of  a  mile.  The  fence  was  old  and  our  training  in  walking 
a  pole  had  been  sadly  neglected.  We  had  a  high-minded 
teacher,  however,  who  taught  some  things  outside  the 
curriculum.  He  introduced  what  might  be  termed  the 
elective  system  in  punishment.  It  chanced  the  boys  of 
this  term  were  practising  with  vaulting  poles  and  scaling 
a  high  fence.  Two  or  three  of  the  larger  and  more  nimble 
ones  had  raised  the  pole  about  in  line  with  the  eaves  of 
the  schoolhouse,  and  this  had  greatly  excited  the  wonder 
and  admiration  of  the  school.  On  the  day  of  which  I 
am  now  relating  the  pole  had  gone  up  another  foot,  ready 
for  the  next  recess,  and  it  happened  that  the  best  scaler 
was  guilty  of  a  misdemeanor  or  inattention,  for  which  he 
was  called  before  the  teacher  for  punishment.  He  im- 
mediately elected  to  run  around  the  schoolhouse  three 
times  and  at  each  round  to  vault  the  raised  pole.  The 
school  at  once  applauded  his  bravery,  and  our  studies  were 
suspended  to  watch  the  hero's  skill.  Suffice  it  to  say  he 
won,  as  we  all  expected  he  would,  and  we  were  able  to 
continue  our  studies  without  weariness. 

Sister  Emily  says,  "You  certainly  have  very  faithfully 
reproduced  the  low  6  Red  House  '  and  the  schoolhouse,  both 

88 


WORK  OUR  NATURAL  HERITAGE 


from  memory,  too.  Grandfather's  white  house  looks  so 
life-like  up  by  the  willows/' 

Some  time  after,  we  had  Mr.  Colquohoun  as  teacher. 
He  frequently  came  into  our  home  of  an  evening.  Mother 
was  not  only  entertaining  in  conversation,  but  a  good 
singer.  We  got  a  drilling  in  the  old  "  Vocalist  "  at  such  times 
and  these  pieces  were  fibered  into  us  on  these  occasions: 
"There  is  a  Land  of  Pure  Delight,"  "Sister,  Thou  wast 
Mild  and  Lovely,"  "Come,  Ye  Disconsolate."  Thanks  to 
mother's  perseverance  some  of  us  received  our  first  musi- 
cal consciousness.  Their  minds  and  hearts  were  active. 
Father  did  not  sing.  The  standard  of  mental  and  moral 
excellence  never  dropped.  Time  was  always  held  at  a 
premium.  "The  mind  is  the  standard  of  the  man,"  he 
would  say  to  us.  There  was  always  something  to  do  for 
improvement.  Five  or  ten  minutes  of  waiting  meant 
getting  information  from  a  book.  But  the  minutes  must 
never  be  idled.  The  story  of  Elihu  Burritt  on  his  anvil 
study  was  a  ready  one.  We  can  make  a  beautiful  farm 
out  of  a  pretty  forest,  we  have  a  good  country  and  belong 
to  a  great  nation.  There  is  no  better  story  in  the  English 
language  for  boys  and  girls  and  it  is  here  inserted  for  their 
interest. 

"Elihu  Burritt  was  a  child  of  poverty.  Most  boys  in 
his  circumstances  would  have  been  discouraged  and  would 
have  been  driven  to  the  wall  as  weaklings.  He  was  the 
son  of  a  poor  shoemaker,  and  was  the  youngest  of  ten 
children.  He  had  but  little  education  when  a  lad  in  the 
common  school  of  his  native  village,  and  at  eighteen  years 
of  age,  after  his  father's  death,  he  was  apprenticed  to  a 
blacksmith.  But  he  was  not  disheartened  by  his  handicap 
of  poverty  and  lack  of  education.  With  pure  grit  he  deter- 
mined to  have  an  education.    He  bought  some  Latin  and 

89 


HOME-MAKING  AND  ITS  PHILOSOPHY 


French  books,  carrying  them  in  his  hat  or  pocket,  and 
learning  from  them  as  he  worked  at  his  anvil.  He  im- 
proved every  spare  moment,  so  hungry  was  he  for  knowl- 
edge. He  always  had  some  book  near  him,  and  he  soon 
took  up  also  the  study  of  Greek,  Spanish  and  Italian.  He 
taught  school  for  a  year,  to  earn  money  to  support  him- 
self, but  he  broke  down  in  health.  But  the  handicap  of 
poor  health  did  not  discourage  this  dauntless  young  man. 
He  persevered  with  tremendous  will-power  and  invincible 
energy.  He  studied  seven  languages  one  winter.  When 
his  health  failed  from  teaching  school,  he  went  into  the 
grocery  business  in  a  little  store.  Soon  he  lost  all  his  money 
in  this  venture.  But  this  handicap  did  not  make  him 
show  the  white  feather  of  defeat.  He  walked  from  his 
native  town,  New  Britain,  Connecticut,  to  Boston,  Massa- 
chusetts, and  then  to  Worcester,  where  he  again  took  up 
the  anvil  and  the  forge,  often  watching  the  castings  in  his 
furnace  with  a  Greek  grammar  in  his  hand.  Then  he 
studied  Hebrew.  He  searched  the  libraries  for  books. 
In  Worcester  he  toiled  at  his  forge  and  at  his  books  by  day 
and  by  night,  until  he  translated  all  the  Icelandic  sagas 
relating  to  the  discovery  of  America.  When  he  was  thirty 
years  of  age  he  had  learned  all  the  languages  of  Europe  and 
several  of  Asia.  Soon  he  became  lecturer,  editor,  author, 
scholar.  He  visited  Europe  many  times,  and  met  the  great 
men  of  the  world.  When  he  died,  at  sixty-eight,  he  was 
esteemed  and  loved  by  two  hemispheres.  He  believed  that 
it  is  not  genius  that  wins  success,  but  hard  work,  a  pure  life 
and  pure  grit." 

Father's  custom  was  to  rest  one  hour  at  noon  and  we 
had  the  hour,  too,  a  custom  that  was  strictly  observed. 
Father  spent  his  hour  reading  or  sleeping.  We  took  ours 
in  reading  and  resting.    Father  was  easy  to  approach, 

90 


WORK  OUR  NATURAL  HERITAGE 


and  we  talked  freely  to  him  of  our  ambitions.  If  a  drain 
was  to  be  dug  on  the  farm,  or  such  other  uninviting  work 
to  be  done,  father  would  say,  "  Come,  boys,"  and  lead  the 
way.  If  he  arrived  on  the  ground  in  advance,  he  might 
give  a  little  talk  on  clover  and  the  change  the  drain  would 
effect  in  the  land,  the  result  being  that  we  would  go  to  work 
with  a  will  and  look  for  clover.  I  knew  of  one  drain  built 
that  way.  Father  was  a  good-looking  farmer,  intelligent, 
courteous  and  benevolent,  with  no  taste  for  dissipation, 
yet  full  of  humor. 

The  river  had  two  grassy  channels  above  the  farm, 
into  which  it  overflowed  during  the  spring  rains  or  the 
late  autumn  flooding  of  the  lowlands.  As  the  waters  rose, 
so  did  our  spirits,  until  each  island  spot  saw  the  waters 
above.  A  rich  sediment  overlaid  the  grassy  intervales 
and  kept  the  land  in  perpetual  fertility,  feeding  at  the  same 
time  our  imaginations  with  pictures  no  human  artist  could 
rival. 

Driftwood  and  logs  were  left  on  the  land,  and  the  boys 
gathered  these  as  the  new  grass  greened  the  meadows. 
The  oxen,  in  their  English  yoke  with  bows,  munched  the 
rich,  juicy  grass,  while  we  kept  pace  loading  the  wood  which 
had  lost  its  juice.  We  had  music  as  an  accompaniment, 
borne  from  the  hedgerow  of  alders  along  the  spring  where 
the  blackbirds  and  bobolinks  loved  to  assemble.  There 
was  a  bird-lore  rumor  that  they  liked  those  boys  who  would 
not  throw  stones  at  them,  and  they  loved  to  sing  to  us,  who 
heard  them  sing  so  sweetly. 

Grandfather  in  his  pioneer  days  had  laid  a  low  plank 
bridge  across  the  river  close  to  the  old  ford,  and  it  was 
his  practice  to  remove  the  planks  before  high  water,  while 
the  stringers  were  anchored  to  the  bank. 

There  were  fine  beech  groves  across  the  highlands,  and 

91 


HOME-MAKING  AND  ITS  PHILOSOPHY 


the  story  was  told  us  that  grandfather  gathered  into  his 
ox-cart  a  load  of  pigs  to  take  to  the  nutting.  The  half- 
grown  ones  had  their  feet  tied  together  one  frosty  autumn 
morning,  and  were  started  for  the  beeches.  The  hoar 
frost  was  on  the  planks — the  oxen  slipped — the  cart  slid, 
and  all  went  into  the  river.  Pigs  are  unfitted  to  swim 
even  if  they  are  untied,  and  like  their  fated  race  on  the 
hillsides  of  the  Gadarenes  they  were  all  drowned  in  the 
river;  but  the  oxen  and  cart  were  brought  safely  to  land. 

In  1853  father  built  a  much  longer  and  higher  bridge 
of  logs,  with  high  abutments  on  each  bank  filled  with  rough 
granite  boulders  from  off  the  farm.  This  is  the  bridge 
in  the  river  picture.  This  was  an  expensive  private  bridge, 
his  immediate  reason  for  building  being  that  a  pair  of 
large  oxen  broke  through  the  ice  over  deep  water,  close 
below  where  the  present  bridge  stands.  I  recollect  well 
the  incident  on  a  cold  mid-winter  day,  and  the  great  diffi- 
culty and  delay  in  getting  them  out.  The  ice  had  to  be 
chopped  to  shallow  water,  which  must  have  taken  one  or 
two  hours,  but  they  were  finally  landed,  very  chilled,  but 
by  rubbing  and  blanketing  and  rushing  them  to  the  stable, 
where  warm  drinks  were  given,  they  were  not  much  the 
worse  for  their  winter  bathing.  Those  abutments  were 
proof  against  the  freshets.  A  low  railing  was  placed  along 
the  sides  to  prevent  sliding  over.  The  beechnuts  of  twc 
generations  ago  had  all  gone,  even  the  fewer  trees  did  not 
bear  many.  So  our  boys  were  not  permitted  to  learn  the 
art  of  tying  the  pigs'  feet. 

Still  we  had  our  times  close  to  the  squeal  when  grass 
rooting  began.  The  large  pigs  in  the  pasture  had  first  tc 
be  caught,  and  this  was  done  while  they  were  guilty  of 
mischief  which  they  knew  as  well  as  we,  and  happened 
either  in  the  field  or  garden  when  they  were  discovered. 

92 


WORK  OUR  NATURAL  HERITAGE 


They  were  anxious  to  get  back  to  their  old  lot,  for  our 
Rover  was  persistent  in  biting  their  legs  and  heels,  while 
he  was  safe  from  kicks  as  he  surely  would  not  have  been 
from  horses  or  from  cattle.  Our  plan  was  to  stand  the 
gate  ajar  and  adjust  a  noose  of  large  rope  in  such  a  manner 
that  it  could  not  be  seen  from  the  inside.  It  was  wisdom 
not  to  allow  them  to  see  us  arranging  the  noose,  for  they 
are  quick  learners  and  suspicious  of  man's  ways,  especially 
if  they  had  been  caught  before.  When  the  end  of  the  rope 
had  been  tied  to  a  large  post,  we  started  in  to  round  up  one 
and  it  was  their  habit  to  bolt  towards  the  gate.  He  was 
suspicious  to  see  the  gate  so  nearly  closed,  and  there  was 
usually  a  pause,  but  our  closing  in  brought  matters  to  a 
decision  and  the  risky  plunge  must  be  taken,  and  the 
"porker"  usually  was  caught  around  the  neck  and  held 
until  a  small  noose  was  arranged  in  the  mouth,  behind 
some  large  tusks  nature  had  thoughtfully  provided  for  this 
purpose.  This  capture  was  accomplished  in  utmost  silence 
of  speech  so  far  as  we  were  concerned,  but  our  silence  was 
offset  by  an  explosion  of  deafening  cannonade  of  squealing 
which  echoed  for  a  mile.  The  tension  on  the  rope  was 
made  by  the  animal's  backward  pull,  which  never  failed. 
With  an  awl  we  pierced  the  offending  snout  and  inserted  a 
couple  of  rings,  also  a  yoke  was  placed  around  the  neck; 
and  meanwhile  the  high  pitch  of  the  squeal  was  steadily 
maintained,  though  in  no  sense  did  it  assist  us  in  the  work. 
We  treated  the  valuable  creature  with  as  much  considera- 
tion as  possible,  except  in  extreme  contrariness.  Those 
who  make  a  special  study  of  animal  nature  will  surely 
find  this  animal  an  interesting  problem.  When  the  work 
was  through  the  noise  ceased,  and  the  world's  customary 
melody  and  music  returned. 

When  father  had  tasks  for  us  which  called  upon  or 

93 


HOME-MAKING  AND  ITS  PHILOSOPHY 


touched  the  heroic  in  us,  he  would  offer  a  reward.  When  my 
sister  Harriet  Newall  (who  was  named  for  that  excellent 
woman  so  widely  known  for  her  goodness)  was  twelve  or 
fourteen  years  of  age  we  were  offered  a  lamb,  the  choice 
of  the  flock,  as  a  reward  for  learning  the  shorter  catechism 
from  beginning  to  end.  This  was  an  exceedingly  difficult 
and  heavy  task  even  for  adults  to  understand.  The  book 
contains  one  hundred  and  seven  questions,  including  the 
moral  law  with  the  reasons  annexed.  It  should  be  stated 
here  that  ever  since  we  were  able  to  talk  we  had  been  steadily 
making  towards  their  acquaintance,  and  I  suspect  father 
thought  at  the  speed  we  were  making  we  might  never  com- 
plete it.  This  offer  was  made  on  a  Sabbath  evening,  I  think, 
when  we  were  assembled  in  the  evening  circle.  This  family 
assemblage  was  regularly  maintained  week  by  week  and 
year  by  year  as  long  as  father  lived,  and  after  his  death 
mother  continued  the  custom.  I  cannot  recollect  when 
it  began.  I  believe  my  sister  liked  catechismal  literature 
better  than  I,  for  she  certainly  got  a  better  grasp  of  its 
meaning.  My  sister  applied  herself  to  the  task  but  I 
hesitated,  the  contract  was  so  Herculean.  We  both  liked 
lambs,  perhaps  better  than  abstruse  orthodoxy,  but  the 
lamb  was  to  be  won  only  through  the  catechism.  The 
evening  for  recital  at  last  arrived  and  we  began  at  the  "chief 
end  of  man/'  asking  the  questions  alternately.  The  first 
half  of  the  book  was  old,  familiar  ground,  but  when  we 
began  to  clirnb  the  heights,  "What  is  effectual  calling," 
and  the  reasons  annexed  to  each  of  the  Ten  Commandments, 
and  the  theological  distinctions  between  justification,  adop- 
tion and  sanctification,  a  vortex  of  mystery  enveloped  me 
and  I  could  not  reasonably  see  my  way.  I  tripped  several 
times  on  this  journey,  but  was  still  hopeful  my  missteps 
would  not  be  considered  too  seriously,  as  my  intentions 

94 


WORK  OUR  NATURAL  HERITAGE 


were  good.  I  can  feel  even  now  the  sweat  drops  on  my 
forehead  from  the  ascent.  My  sister  won  the  lamb,  and 
I  believe  most  fairly  too,  and  she  afterwards  won  a  husband 
who  became  a  Baptist  deacon.  For  my  pains  I  retain  a 
very  general  idea  of  the  merits  of  this  excellent  catechism, 
which  will  hold  to  the  end  of  my  life. 

We  were  all  made  Bible  students  in  those  ways.  The 
family  Bible  was  read  morning  and  evening  in  that  dear 
old  home  circle,  where  each  read  in  turn,  even  to  the  youngest 
on  father's  knee  repeating  the  verse  words  but  the  baby 
rested  on  mother's  lap.  Father  led  in  prayer  without 
the  least  hurry  and  always  without  ever  producing  the 
feeling  of  rush.  When  over,  there  was  still  a  lingering  of 
kind  words  left  behind  to  help  in  the  work  of  the  day.  The 
rule  was  to  begin  work  moderately,  but  to  increase  the 
speed  while  measuring  one's  strength  to  hold  on.  In 
the  evenings  the  younger  ones  went  to  bed  with  the  sun. 
At  night  all  were  tired  and  weary.  Father  would  take 
down  his  big  Testament,  with  Edwards'  notes  and  instruc- 
tions, and  in  the  quiet  and  meditative  spirit  of  the  summer 
night  read  a  favorite  psalm  and  kneel  in  prayer.  Some- 
how the  prayers  did  not  seem  long,  and  then  all  went  to 
bed  to  sleep. 

Then  kneeling  down,  to  Heaven's  eternal  King 

The  saint,  the  father,  and  the  husband  prays: 
Hope  "  springs  exulting  on  triumphant  wing," 

That  thus  they  all  shall  meet  in  future  days: 
There  ever  bask  in  uncreated  rays, 

No  more  to  sigh,  and  shed  the  bitter  tear, 
Together  hymning  their  Creator's  praise, 

In  such  society,  yet  still  more  dear; 
While  circling  time  moves  round  in  an  eternal  sphere. 


95 


HOME-MAKING  AND  ITS  PHILOSOPHT 


From  scenes  like  these  old  Scotia's  grandeur  springs, 
That  make  her  loved  at  home,  revered  abroad: 

Princes  and  lords  are  but  the  breath  of  kings; 
"  An  honest  man's  the  noblest  work  of  God." 

I  subjoin  the  first  line  of  a  few  of  the  precious  psalms 
and  hymns  he  loved. 

Behold  how  good  and  how  pleasant  it  is  for  brethren  to  dwell  together 
in  unity. 

Blessed  is  the  man  that  walketh  not  in  the  counsel  of  the  wicked. 

Give  ear  to  my  words,  O  Lord,  consider  my  meditations. 

My  soul  fainteth  for  thy  salvation. 

I  was  glad  when  they  said  unto  me. 

Preserve  me,  O  God,  for  in  thee  do  I  put  my  trust. 

The  Lord  is  my  shepherd. 

The  earth  is  the  Lord's  and  the  fullness  thereof. 

How  amiable  are  thy  tabernacles,  O  Lord  of  Hosts. 

The  Lord  is  my  light  and  my  salvation. 

As  the  hart  panteth  after  the  water  brooks. 

God  is  our  refuge  and  strength. 

My  soul  waiteth  only  upon  God. 

Make  a  joyful  noise  unto  God,  all  the  earth. 

Bless  the  Lord,  O  my  soul. 

Blessed  is  the  man  that  feareth  the  Lord. 

Thy  word  is  a  lamp  unto  my  feet  and  a  light  unto  my  path. 

There  is  a  Fountain  Filled  with  Blood. 

Rock  of  Ages. 

All  Praise  to  Thee,  my  God,  this  Night. 
Another  Six  Days'  Work  is  Done. 
Welcome,  Sweet  Day  of  Rest. 
Wonderful  Words  of  Life. 

Father  was  specially  fond  of  reading  the  Proverbs  of 
Solomon  and  teaching  them  to  us  when  very  young.  Some 
of  us  boys  learned  to  repeat  the  second  and  twenty-second 
chapters  in  full. 

A  good  man  leaveth  an  inheritance  to  his  children's 
children.    He  saw  something  to  be  wrought  out,  under 

96 


WORK  OUR  NATURAL  HERITAGE 


soul  leadings  and  with  unremitting  signals.  This  book 
could  not  have  been  written  sooner.  It  required  fifty 
years  to  interpret  the  language  of  the  soul. 

'Tis  the  old-time  religion. 
It  was  good  enough  for  father, 
It  was  good  enough  for  mother, 
And  it's  good  enough  for  me. 


97 


CHAPTER  XIII 


A  LONG  DRIVE  WITH  MOTHER 

IN  the  autumn  of  1856  a  very  extended  trip  was  planned. 
Mother  was  then  anxious  to  visit  her  parents,  grand- 
father and  grandmother  Richardson,  who  were  at 
Sydney,  Cape  Breton,  her  father  being  a  resident  and  re- 
tired clergyman.  This  was  a  trip  of  two  hundred  and 
forty  miles.  They  had  often  written  her,  inviting  her  to 
try  to  make  the  trip.  Her  parents  were  aged  and  her 
love  for  them  led  her  to  undertake  this  long  journey.  We 
were  to  leave  home  in  September.  Grandfather  had  been 
pastor  of  several  groups  of  churches  in  eastern  Nova  Scotia, 
and  had  made  many  friends,  and  so  the  stages  of  the  journey 
were  minutely  planned  beforehand.  We  were  to  take  the 
black  horse,  and  I  of  fourteen  years  was  to  be  the  driver. 
For  some  time  there  was  much  tiptoe  expectation  while 
we  were  in  the  last  stages  of  the  harvesting,  but  at  last  Fri- 
day, the  day  for  starting,  came,  and  with  it  the  half-day's 
journey  of  twenty-two  miles,  with  fourteen  miles  of  unbroken 
woods  to  drive  through  before  we  reached  Nelson's  Inn. 

The  day  was  fine  and  cool.  We  had  the  Henderson 
wagon  and  a  good  horse.  The  leaving  of  all  at  home  for 
what  seemed  then  almost  a  world  trip  made  it  exciting  to 
us  and  those  we  left  behind,  but  with  lots  of  good  wishes 
and  good-byes  and  warming  of  loving  hands  we  started  the 
wheels  for  Sydney.  The  roads  were  dry  and  good  and  the 
prospects  pleasing.  It  was  a  long  journey  for  mother,  but 
her  courage  and  strength  proved  equal  to  it.  We  arrived 
at  Mr.  James  McKeen's,  St.  Mary's,  towards  evening  on 
Saturday,  and  were  very  kindly  welcomed  and  entertained 
over  the  Sabbath,  and  mother  heard  Rev.  Henry  Eagles 
preach  again.    Our  friends  gave  us  a  cordial  welcome, 

98 


A  LONG  DRIVE  WITH  MOTHER 


and  we  greatly  enjoyed  their  company.    A  few  vears  later 
one  of  their  sons  called  on  us  at  our  home,  and  we  were 
very  glad  indeed  to  welcome  him  and  have  him  remain 
with  us  awhile.    Mother  was  a  very  entertaining  listener. 
By  Monday  mother  was  quite  rested,  and  the  horse  was 
ready  for  another  drive.    After  warm  invitations  to  call  on 
the  return,  we  started  on  our  itinerancv,  leading  to  Antigo- 
nish,  where  we   duly   arrived.    Inquiries  of  full-blooded 
Gaelic  men  as  to  route  elicited  "the  meeting  of  a  house  or 
road  or  church"  in  their  rich  native  dialect,  which  is  beau- 
tifully poetic,  and  I  have  not  forgotten  it.    We  rested  at 
the  home  of  Rev.  Mr.  Whidden,  a  very  beautiful  corner 
house  in  the  center  of  the  pretty  village,  as  it  was  then. 
Here  we  received  the  most  kindly  welcome,  and  mother 
rested  in  a  well-cushioned  rocker  while  our  two  or  three 
hours'  stav  was  so  comfortably  passing.    Grandfather  had 
preached  here  and  they  were  friends.    These  friends,  as 
I  remember  them,  were  aged  but  active,  and  the  time  passed 
almost  too  quicklv.    Mother  built  a  charming  place  for  her 
life  among  those  she  met.    But  our  plans  called  for  the  next 
stage  to  reach  the  Straits  of  Canso  the  second  night.  The 
people  were  mostlv  Scotch,  their  fathers  coming  direct  from 
Scotland.    They  are  said  to  be  very  thrifty  and  economical, 
and  live  easily  within  their  earnings.    The  land  is  good  for 
farming  and  grazing.    The  Gaelic  tongue  is  spoken  in  their 
home  and  communities  still,  but  English  is  used  in  com- 
merce.   They  are  essentially  kind  and  hospitable,  as  we 
learned  in  our  travels.    Mother's  manner  was  ever  accept- 
able with  strangers.    Her  nest  of  estimable  qualities,  with- 
out the  least  assumption,  at  once  won  their  kindness  and 
respect.    The  post  road  here  had  telegraph  poles  which 
were  a  safe  guide  for  us,  but  it  was  a  long  afternoon's  drive 
to  Tracadie,  though  there  was  more  descent  than  rise  to 

99 


HOME-MAKING  AND  ITS  PHILOSOPHY 


Harbor  Bouchie,  where  next  day  we  were  to  take  the  ferry 
for  Port  Hastings  across  the  Strait. 

The  sun  had  set  ere  "Blackie"  was  brought  to  a  stop 
and  as  fortune  seemed  to  follow  and  favor  us  thus  far,  the 
ferryman  was  standing  before  his  door.  The  horse  was 
quickly  unharnessed  and  all  were  placed  in  the  scow  and 
pushed  off  for  a  two-mile  sail  and  row  with  oars.  This 
was  my  first  trip  on  the  briny  deep  and  it  was  deep  enough 
and  full  of  wonders  to  an  inland  boy.  The  houses  along 
the  shores  and  villages  were  white  as  snow,  looking  so  neat 
and  trim.  We  reached  the  landing  on  the  other  shore 
about  dusk  without  mishap.  Then  we  drove  to  the  home  of 
Peter  Paint,  Esquire,  of  Peter  Paint  and  Sons,  merchants 
and  shippers,  living  near  Hawkesbury,  two  miles  from 
Hastings  where  we  crossed  the  Straits.  The  sons  are  still 
in  business  under  the  old  firm  name.  This  family  were 
grandfather's  warm  and  lifelong  friends,  and  their  luxurious 
Christian  home  was  his  also  while  here,  and  grandfather 
and  grandmother  were  ever  full  of  praise  for  their  uniform 
kindness  and  generous  sympathy  running  through  very 
many  years.  We  were  welcomed  as  a  branch  of  the  family 
tree,  and  mother  felt  she  had  already  met  her  parents  at 
least  halfway.  Next  morning  we  looked  back  on  Cape 
Porcupine,  in  its  loftiness,  clothed  in  many  shades  and 
autumn  colors.  I  had  learned  its  name  and  place  in  school, 
but  it  was  ten  thousand  times  larger  and  more  interesting 
here  than  on  the  map. 

It  was  noon  before  we  left  Hawkesbury.  We  were  now 
halfway  to  Sydney.  The  weather  was  golden  and  the 
roads  good.  The  hills  and  slopes  of  the  shores  of  Isle 
Madame,  thickly  set  with  snow-white  cottages  in  villages, 
made  new  and  charming  landscapes.  This  drive  by  the 
farms  along  the  way  and  on  a  mountain's  side  would  not, 

ioo 


A  LONG  DRIVE  WITH  MOTHER 


however,  compare  favorably  with  our  neatly  kept  river 
farms  at  home.  Our  route  now  lay  through  St.  Peters, 
by  the  main  telegraph  line.  Red  Islands  dotted  the  Bras 
d'or  Lake,  or  white-capped  billows  in  the  wind,  or  pretty, 
sparkling  black  waters  in  the  calm  sunlight. 

At  last,  on  the  third  day  from  Canso  Strait,  we  arrived 
at  grandfather's,  where  they  were  expecting  us.  They 
were  very  well  and  joyfully  welcomed  us,  and  mother  was  at 
home  again.  The  horse  had  stood  the  journey  very  well, 
and  now  he  stood  in  for  a  longer  rest  than  usual  at  this  time 
of  year,  but  he  had  well  earned  it;  and  besides,  in  his  dreams, 
he  may  have  thought  of  the  long  way  back  to  the  old  stable 
and  fields,  and  all  the  prospective  varyings  or  storms  he 
might  have  to  meet  on  the  way. 

Mother  had  brothers  and  sisters  here,  and  old  home 
thoughts  and  loves  were  renewed  again,  after  a  long  separa- 
tion. Aunt  Charlotte  was  a  beautiful  woman,  so  I  thought, 
and  we  were  at  once  fast  friends,  while  Uncle  Samuel  Peters 
was  full  of  kindness,  as  was  also  his  father,  Deacon  Peters. 
Aunt  Charlotte  was  mild  and  gentle  and  seemed  to  look 
goodness  into  one.  Her  large,  soft  eyes  spoke  of  refinement 
and  nobility.  Aunt  Sarah  and  she  seemed  to  me  like  twin 
sisters,  so  much  were  they  alike  in  looks  and  goodness. 
Grandmother  was  the  essence  of  kindness  herself. 

The  big  waters  of  Sydney  Harbor  and  lakes  seemed  too 
large  and  to  take  up  too  much  room.  While  we  were  there 
the  equinoctial  gale  arrived  on  September  twenty-second. 
The  captain  of  a  vessel  had  her  anchored  at  Low  Point, 
in  Sydney  Harbor.  The  storm  was  heavy  and  the  vessel 
was  dragging  her  anchor  so  that  it  was  thought  she  would 
be  driven  ashore.  In  the  night  I  went  down  with  my  uncles 
to  the  shore.  At  the  turn  of  the  night  the  storm  increased, 
and  the  captain  and  men  were  in  despair.    The  captain 

IOI 


HOME-MAKING  AND  ITS  PHILOSOPHY 


was  crying  and  wringing  his  hands.  This  was  the  first 
time  I  ever  saw  a  man  crying  at  the  prospective  loss  of 
property.  The  act  struck  me  with  great  force.  Of  course 
I  could  not  understand  it  or  comprehend  it,  as  I  had  never 
seen  any  of  the  Archibald  men  cry,  and  to  a  boy's  mind  it 
meant  a  want  of  manly  strength  or  self-control  as  we  boys 
expected  to  see  it  in  men.  Happily  and  to  the  great  joy  of 
all  the  anchor  held,  the  storm  abated,  and  the  ship  was 
saved. 

Grandfather  had  a  fine  garden  of  apples  and  plums, 
cherries  and  vegetables.  I  was  given  the  freedom  of  the 
garden  and  I  suspect  I  ate  more  gages  and  plums  than  a 
proper  share.  During  our  three  weeks'  stay  we  had  several 
drives.  Grandfather  and  I  drove  to  Cow  Bay,  where  we 
stopped  with  Mr.  Spencer,  the  merchant,  and  were  very 
hospitably  entertained.  We  drove  from  there  to  Mr.  Shep- 
pard's  and  Aunt  Joanna's,  and  returned  to  Sydney  by  the 
same  route. 

Soon  the  time  was  up  and  now  we  must  bid  all  good-bye, 
even  those  who  had  showered  us  with  goodness  and  love. 
This  was  the  last  time  mother  was  permitted  to  see  her 
parents  living.  The  parting  had  the  element  of  sadness. 
She  had  lingered  in  going,  and  so  it  proved  her  final  fare- 
well. On  our  reaching  home  we  had  a  whole-hearted 
welcome  in  the  old  red  farmhouse  once  again.  All  were 
well  and  were  looking  for  us.  Sometimes  our  little  plans 
are  permitted  to  be  beautifully  worked  out,  and  our  capacity 
and  happiness  are  enlarged. 

On  return  I  thought  our  valley  seemed  a  trifle  narrower. 
Every  boy  is  really  doubly  equipped  to  see  abroad.  We 
have  two  eyes,  two  ears,  two  brains,  two  lungs,  etc.,  whereas 
one  each  would  do  in  more  restricted  ways.  Of  course 
their  largest  use  is  in  reserve  for  accidents.    It  is  easier  to 

102 


A  LONG  DRIVE  WITH  MOTHER 


learn  of  the  world  through  the  senses  as  we  get  its  just  pro- 
portions. 

Our  faithful  dog  Rover  had  just  missed  the  journey  of 
his  life  by  his  being  housed  for  half  a  day  when  we  were 
leaving.  However,  he  wagged  us  a  generous  return.  Blackie 
deserves  honorable  mention  for  driving  us  home  within  the 
time  we  had  planned.    i(  And  all  is  well  that  ends  well." 


103 


CHAPTER  XIV 


THE  WATER  SUPPLY 

ALONG  its  stormy,  rolling  course,  at  points  we  needed, 
our  family  brook  had  the  habit  of  making  pools  for 
pails.  These  were  two  or  three  feet  deep  in  mid- 
summer time,  and  were  reservoirs  for  drinking  from.  In 
its  long,  curving  way  between  the  pools  it  sank  into  the 
gravel  to  be  purified.  At  its  source  and  fully  on  its  way 
it  was  well  fringed  with  trees  before  it  reached  the  open 
or  felt  its  strength  to  course  its  way  without  the  helping 
trees.  But  when  it  came  in  sight  of  our  group  of  buildings 
we  lent  it  greater  beauty  by  apple-tree  reflections  in  the 
pools,  where  it  smiled  best  with  the  children  seated  in  the 
branches. 

The  banks  were  smooth  and  grassy  green.  The  largest 
reservoir  was  under  the  roadside  willows,  as  shown  in  the 
engraving.  At  high  water  the  brook  had  early  laid  two 
small  logs  across  it,  above  two  giant  willows,  one  standing 
on  each  side  of  it,  and  embedded  them  in  stone  and  gravel. 
Especially  at  the  time  of  the  heaviest  rains  the  water  poured 
over  into  a  pool,  that  deepened  to  a  respectable  water- 
fall, from  which  the  children  learned  how  the  waters  of 
Niagara  acted.  The  powers  of  nature  are  marvelous. 
The  brook  had  many  twists  and  turns  before  it  came  in 
sight  of  the  house.  The  seven  children  saw  its  waters  high 
and  low,  and  from  one  of  these  pools  heard  its  roar.  Water 
was  carried  to  the  house  in  two  pails  by  walking  between 
them.  The  common  way  was  for  some  of  the  children, 
who  felt  the  sense  of  obligation  most,  to  take  the  empty 
pails  on  their  arms  and  advance  first  on  one  foot  and  then 
on  two,  in  a  sort  of  hop  or  gallop,  set  to  some  humming 
music  of  their  own  that  suited  the  occasion,  and  sail  across 

104 


THE  WATER  SUPPLY 


the  clean-swept  chip-yard  in  a  straight  line  for  the  front 
pool.  Here  were  little  speckled  trout  darting  at  our  ap- 
proach and  making  ripples.  We  set  the  pails  beside  the 
pool,  and  bent  closer  to  the  trout.  Then  taking  one  pail 
and  gently  putting  its  mouth  into  the  pool  we  pushed  it 
down  and  forward  towards  a  trout  up  in  a  gravel  corner 
until  we  pailed  it.  Then  with  both  pails  full  we  carried 
them  by  the  big  barn  doors,  hooked  open  in  the  summer 
time  to  dry  and  light  and  blow  the  cobwebs  before  the 
breezes,  but  set  them  down  here  to  let  the  water  become 
steady.  The  chattering  of  large  flocks  of  busy  eave  swallows 
called  us.  They  were  dull-colored,  but  had  breasts  of 
brighter  plumage  and  their  throats  were  white.  Their 
friendly  manners  and  busy  habits  made  us  their  friends. 
Some  of  them  were  carrying  water,  too,  in  little  cups,  others 
mud,  and  building  round  nests  about  the  size  of  our  por- 
ridge bowls.  They  had  the  habit  of  hovering  in  the  air 
or  clinging  to  the  side  of  upright  boards,  with  their  sharp- 
toed  feet,  to  rest  and  think. 

They  built  in  villages  along  one  side  of  a  street,  under  a 
garret  roof  father  had  left  for  them  along  the  eaves.  They, 
too,  must  have  enjoyed  the  rain  patter  on  the  shingles  as 
we  boys  did  in  our  bedded  nests  during  heavy  rainpours. 
They  loved  their  homes  and  were  not  easily  "shoo'ed" 
away.  We  used  to  wonder  where  they  built  their  nests 
before  barns  were  built,  or  the  country  settled.  But  they 
were  teaching  us  many  interesting  things  we  wished  to  know. 
We  sometimes  stepped  into  the  barn  floor  to  see  their  royal 
cousins,  the  barn  swallows,  in  their  nests  in  the  gable  ends 
or  on  the  rafters.  By  instinct  they  seemed  led  to  do  the  cor- 
rect thing  and  to  do  it  accurately.  If  we  followed  our  best 
thoughts  we,  too,  would  be  nearer  right  in  our  conclusions. 
But  suddenly  a  house-call  for  "Water,"  brought  us  back  to 

105 


HOME-MAKING  AND  ITS  PHILOSOPHY 


conscious  duty,  and  we  moved  at  double  speed  over  the  last 
half  of  our  water-walk.  Each  of  the  seven  boys  and  girls 
shared  these  water  privileges  and  training  for  almost  fifteen 
years.  We  began  of  our  own  volition  very  early,  with 
pints  and  little  tin  kettles,  which  bigger  grew  as  we  grew 
older. 

One  day  the  writer  said  he  was  sorry  he  ever  learned  to 
carry  water.  It  happened  in  this  way — with  two  pails  full 
he  was  moving  with  good  speed  past  the  barn  doors  with- 
out stopping,  when  our  big  white  ram,  thinking  possibly 
he  had  turnips,  silently  ran  up  behind  him  and  struck  a 
blow  that  laid  him  low  and  spilt  both  pails  of  water.  For- 
tunately some  one  heard  the  fall  and  call  of  distress  and 
came  to  his  relief,  for  his  ramship  was  standing  over  him 
with  his  head  at  an  angle,  ready  for  another  charge  as  soon 
as  he  arose. 

When  we  were  asked  to  fill  the  pails  we  could  not  dele- 
gate the  favor  to  another.  Our  house  required  about  ten 
pails  of  water  per  day,  or  three  thousand  to  four  thousand 
a  year,  or  in  ten  years  thirty  thousand  to  forty  thousand 
pails  of  water.  A  hogshead  caught  the  rain  water  from 
the  spouted  eaves.  We  had  a  barreled  spring  up  on  the 
bank  across  the  brook  where  we  often  saw  a  happy  face, 
one  at  a  time  of  course,  in  the  bottom  of  the  well.  Father 
dug  a  well  eleven  feet  deep  between  the  kitchen  and  the 
dairy,  but  it  sometimes  ran  dry.  But  the  brook  was  de- 
pendable and  its  waters  soft  and  sweet.  It  is  best  remem- 
bered for  the  goodness  flowing  through  it  all  the  happy 
days  of  childhood  years,  and  in  our  sweet  memories  running 
ever  since. 


1 06 


CHAPTER  XV 


THE  TREES  AND  THE  BIRDS 

ONE  can  rest  and  feel  comforted  only  where  one  feels 
welcome.  Trees  have  resting-places  to  wonder  in. 
The  first  apple  tree  in  the  brook  glen,  leaning  its 
head  over  the  water  and  braced  by  a  post,  was  one  of  these. 
Harriet  and  I,  when  young,  liked  to  climb  into  those  shady, 
roomy  branches,  where  places  for  many  more  children 
had  been  prepared,  and  from  this  vantage  point  we  could 
see  the  growing  fruit  and  pictures  in  the  water  of  double 
landscapes  through  the  lowering  branches.  Looking  through 
the  trembling  leaves  and  pendent  fruit  the  world  was  rich 
with  prospects.  We  could  sit  in  this  tree  and  rock  it  into 
a  gallop,  and  climb  the  branches  as  stirrups  and  trot  in  a 
sort  of  swinging  gait  over  our  reflected  figures,  and  when 
the  brook  was  full  the  days  were  full  of  social  festivities. 
The  picturesque  reflections  enhanced  the  charm.  Then 
there  were  days  of  early  childhood  loneliness  or  grief,  and 
we  would  stray  to  this  happy  tree.  Its  arms  ever  extended 
for  such  little  ones,  and  seated  on  "our  own  bough"  moods 
melted  into  wonderings,  and  the  spirit  of  the  tree  found 
balance  in  us  and  laid  soft  hands  on  the  soul  of  the  dreamer, 
till  in  pure  affection  we  slid  down  and  laid  our  arms  about 
the  old  tree  instinctively,  as  if  we  would  caress  it.  When 
we  had  older  grown  there  was  a  spruce  tree  at  the  rear 
edge  of  the  sugar  maples  and  raspberry  woods  which  we 
boys  used  to  climb  in  search  for  gum,  its  long,  bare,  brown 
bole  tapering  upwards  fifteen  feet  before  your  hand  could 
touch  a  branch.  Moss  covered  its  roots  like  a  carpet, 
inviting  to  reclining  seat  amid  fragrant  balm.  Here  a 
baby  could  sleep  on  a  mossy  cushion,  or  a  man  reflect  and 
listen  to  the  deep  silences  of  the  woodland  air. 

107 


HOME-MAKING  AND  ITS  PHILOSOPHY 


Canst  thou  imagine  where  those  spirits  live 

Which  make  such  delicate  music  in  the  woods, 

Under  the  green  and  golden  atmosphere 

Which  noontide  kindles  through  the  woven  leaves  ? 

Music  when  such  soft  voices  die 

Vibrates  in  the  memory. 

Odors,  when  sweet  violets  sicken, 

Live  within  the  sense  they  quicken. 

Rose  leaves,  when  the  rose  is  dead, 

Are  heaped  upon  the  beloved's  bed. 

And  so  we  thought  when  thou  art  gone, 

Love  itself  shall  slumber  on. 

A  merry  boy  will,  hand  over  hand,  knee  above  knee, 
find  the  seams  in  the  trunk  or  branches,  from  which  rises 
the  thickened  sap  to  lose  its  fluidity  in  the  sun  and  harden 
in  the  air  as  hard  as  amber.  Its  lumps  of  crystal  sugar 
regale  the  breath  of  millions.  The  fir  tree — the  cypress 
of  the  South — is  a  beautiful  evergreen,  half-sister  to  the 
spruce  and  usually  found  in  company  with  it,  and  they 
are  very  companionable.  It  possesses  more  ambrosial 
personality,  with  a  sign  written  everywhere,  "Touch  not, 
taste  not,  handle  not."  Its  balsam  globes  are  filled  with 
a  hundred  drops  of  the  clearest  nectar,  very  bitter,  and 
this  tree  is  able  to  lower  its  spreading  plumes  down  to  the 
earth  and  make  a  protecting  and  sheltering  home  for  bird 
nestings.  It  is  the  warmest  and  most  richly  dressed  of  all 
our  woodland  friends.  It  belongs  to  the  bluebloods  of 
the  woodlands. 

It  was  behind  the  seven  house  "  balms,"  seventy-five 
feet  high  or  more,  we  laid  our  year's  wood,  cut  in  ten-feet 
lengths,  which  we  sledded  home  in  winter.  These  trees 
are  worth  more  than  gold  to  every  home  for  their  wonderful 
adaptability  to  every  situation  about  a  home  and  their 
extreme  willingness  to  reach  out  to  shade  where  wanted 

108 


THE  TREES  AND  THE  BIRDS 


most.  They  are  abundantly  rich  in  healthful  fragrance. 
There  was  a  large  bough  reaching  over  the  woodpile, 
and  after  the  year's  wood  had  been  cut  and  housed,  with 
long  ladders  we  climbed  away  out  on  this  long  bough  and 
fastened  ropes  to  make  a  swing.  We  certainly  had  the 
element  of  risk  in  us  as  children.  It  had  a  bending  and 
side-swinging  motion  that  gave  a  tilt  and  sway  the  little 
ones  never  wearied  of,  and  wanted  more.  The  circular 
motion  was  long,  and  the  ambition  was  to  complete  the 
full  half  of  the  circle.  We  sometimes  held  our  breath 
crossing  high  aerial  lines,  but  familiarity  soon  brought 
freedom  in  lofty  ventures. 

The  buds  of  these  Gilead  balms  grow  to  a  large  size, 
being  balsamy  and  bitter  to  the  taste,  but  valued  for  their 
healing  and  medicinal  qualities.  The  catkins  are  on  long, 
cord-like  stalks  which  come  before  the  leaves  and  are 
clothed  with  lateral  pendent  buds.  The  leaf  buds  are 
ovate  and  large,  while  the  leaves  are  oblong,  and  when 
small  they  present  a  delicate  yellow  shading  and  a  very 
agreeable  fragrance.  In  fact  I  know  of  no  other  tree  in 
all  its  contents  so  wholesome  for  house  surroundings.  I 
am  well  aware  all  will  not  agree  with  me,  but  that  is  no 
matter.  The  lateral  buds  emit  a  cotton  wool  most  interest- 
ing as  it  drops  to  the  earth.  We  had  only  two  varieties. 
The  other  has  a  cathedral  spire,  or  better,  the  cathedral 
has  a  spire  like  the  tree. 

The  seven  willows,  starting  within  a  hundred  feet  of 
our  door-yard  "balms,"  ran  at  a  right  angle  up  the  easy 
grade  and  along  the  chine  of  the  bank  past  grandfather's 
white  house,  dropping  easily  towards  the  brook  glen.  These 
trees  arched  over  a  broad,  grassy  decline,  through  which 
the  pretty  walk  led  to  the  front  entrance  of  grandfather's 
house.    There  was  a  cosiness  and  coolness  on  the  eastern 

109 


HOME-MAKING  AND  ITS  PHILOSOPHY 


side  of  the  house  until  after  midday.  This  was  the  side 
they  lived  in,  thus  escaping  all  the  sweltering  heat.  The 
grassy  slopes  under  all  the  tree  arches,  the  coving  banks, 
the  cleft  paths  back  of  grandfather's  leading  to  the  brook, 
were  all  cropped  clean  and  neat  by  the  flock  of  sheep  grand- 
father was  sure  to  let  in  to  lick  the  salt  boards  and  graze. 
It  gave  interesting  life  and  domestic  value  to  the  farm  to 
see  the  farm  alive,  and  know  so  many  different  lives  were 
depending  upon  our  care  and  kindness.  The  brook  ran 
through  the  yards  and  was  most  convenient  for  watering 
the  animals  in  winter;  but  the  gate  kept  them  in  their 
pastures. 

The  maple,  ash  and  oak  trees  are  more  symmetrical 
than  the  poplars  and  willows,  but  they  have  not  that  do- 
mestic character  in  familiar  nearness  and  rapid  growth 
nor  are  they  so  flexible,  pendulous,  or  so  shading.  The 
trim  white  birches  have  a  dressy  look.  They  merit  a  new 
name  becoming  their  refining  character.  "The  white- 
winged  angels  of  the  woodlands"  suggests  their  character. 
One  here  and  there  about  the  lawn  lends  dignity  and  grace. 
All  the  rowans  or  ashes  have  a  trimness  with  panicled  flowers, 
scarlet  berries  and  complex  foliage,  most  interesting  to 
study.  I  saw  a  flock  of  robins  on  their  way  south  stop 
to  feed  from  these.  They  lit  on  a  twiggy  branch  loaded 
with  heavy  berries,  and  when  their  weight  bore  it  down 
so  that  they  almost  lost  their  balance,  they  broke  out  into 
rollicking  laughter,  caught  up  by  the  others.  This  was 
repeated  many  times,  and  I  joined  them  in  their  mirth. 
Some  day  in  our  knowledge  of  these  dear,  dear  friends 
the  narrow  gulf  between  us  may  be  bridged. 

Over  our  river  and  up  the  brink  of  this  ever-flowing 
stream  was  a  pretty  combination  border  of  alders,  over- 
hanging sunless  waters,  and  laden  in  autumn  with  the  rich 

no 


THE  TREES  AND  THE  BIRDS 


brown  seed  cones.  The  choke  cherries  were  blood  red 
and  ready  to  choke.  The  hazels,  with  their  double  and 
single  nuts  in  sour  wrappers,  would  hide  them  under  their 
biggest  leaves,  meaty  and  good  after  the  first  frosts.  The 
bush  cranberries  stretched  their  scarlet  canopies  over  their 
closest  friends,  the  white  flowering  elders  now  beaded  in 
black  fruit  and  in  red  in  multiplied  colors  and  shadings, 
while  the  white  clematis  with  vines  and  tendrils  locked  the 
congenial  company  together  and  rounded  up  the  group, 
making  always  an  interesting  and  objective  point  for  an 
hour's  reading  on  a  Sabbath  afternoon.  I  am  sure  some 
of  us  will  remember  well  these  walks  with  mother  and  the 
toddlers.  It  was  in  such  gardens  the  lowland  birds  sang 
unmolested,  and  it  was  to  hear  them  at  close  range  now 
and  again  we  came  in  Sabbath  quietness,  but  they  sang 
sweetest  in  the  warmth  of  a  June  rain,  or  after  a  gentle 
shower,  which  was  their  doxology  for  gladness.  Some- 
times after  dinner  we  went  to  the  river  for  a  swim,  where 
was  a  deep  diving  place  below  the  "Bridge"  or  at  the 
"  Bow's. "  Diving  from  a  high  bridge  through  the  air 
and  down  through  the  deep  waters  is  the  most  exhilarating 
pastime  and  sensational  experience  known  to  most  boys. 
It  must  be  quite  the  equal  of  an  aeroplane  sail.  We  had 
much  of  this  sportive  element,  and  always  without  mishap. 
It  was  a  bathtub  on  a  larger  plan,  and  included  a  fresh- 
air  bath  before  the  water  world  was  reached. 

Here  were  a  stiff  clay  bottom  and  shallow  gravel  reaches, 
the  river  running  breathlessly  all  the  time. 

One  day  we  startled  a  flock  of  ducks,  that  could  not 
fly,  but  on  their  web  feet  they  went  over  the  water  as  fast 
as  a  horse  could  run.  We  went  after  them  in  the  fleetest 
way,  and,  hidden  by  the  banks,  overtook  them.  They 
were  about  half-grown  and  the  noise  of  their  stampede  was 

in 


HOME-MAKING  AND  ITS  PHILOSOPHY 


great  when  they  found  we  were  close  on  them.  They 
dived  here  and  there  p«.,;d  swam  along  the  embedded  logs 
to  hide,  but  they  had  miscalculated  the  boys,  for  they  could 
dive  too,  with  their  eyes  open,  and  glide  along  the  bottom. 
One  duckling  was  brought  to  the  surface  almost  as  wet  as 
the  capturer.  Great  Was  the  swimmer's  victory  on  such 
occasions,  and  we  gloried  in  our  winnings.  The  captive 
was  taken  to  the  house  and  placed  among  the  chickens 
in  the  boarded  grass  run;  but,  greatly  to  our  sorrow,  in  his 
utter  loneliness  he  died  just  about  the  time  he  was  reconciled. 

There  were  some  trout  in  our  river,  but  the  stream  was 
whipped  by  professionals  before  sunrise,  and  we  never  got 
any  but  their  leavings,  in  cloudy  hours  or  rainy  days.  Still 
we  found  sport  in  seeing  in  some  pool  big  ones  darting 
away  at  our  approach,  or  in  landing  a  fair  specimen  which 
had  more  natural  courage  than  his  fellows. 

Springs  and  autumns  are  lively  times  in  the  country 
for  boys,  when  the  wild  geese  are  crossing.  Sometimes 
they  fly  high  and  again  low,  but  to  see  half  a  dozen  flocks 
a  day  at  different  times  squawking  to  attract  the  boys  whom 
they  do  not  fear  is  worth  a  journey.  And  we  were  free 
to  ask  father  all  manner  of  questions.  Why  they  formed 
an  acute  angle  in  the  sky  ?  Why  sometimes  the  line  on 
one  side  is  twice  as  long  as  the  other  ?  Who  was  their 
leader  ?  A  gander  ?  And  was  there  only  one  gander 
in  a  flock  ?  No.  Well  how  did  they  know  the  one  to 
choose  ?  He  was  master  and  chose  himself.  Why  did 
the  others  follow  ?  Because  it  was  the  nature  of  the  geese 
to  follow  a  male  leader  and  the  others  had  to  come  or  be 
left  behind  and  perish,  and  so  the  dialogues  ran.  Why 
do  wild  geese  fly  in  a  V  form  through  the  air  ?  It  is  for 
the  same  reason  that  we  build  a  boat  so  shaped  that  it 
cleaves  the  water  with  least  resistance.    Their  intercom- 

1 12 


THE  TREES  AND  THE  BIRDS 


munication  is  passed  along  their  language  line  in  honks 
or  signs  with  natural  freedom,  as  soldiers  pass  the  com- 
mands of  their  leader  along  the  battle-line  by  words  and 
signs  on  picket.  To  rise  from  the  earth  the  leader  gives 
the  command,  "  To  wings,"  and  with  unerring  instinct  they 
take  their  places  in  adjusted  lines  before  they  have  flown 
a  mile.  When  meeting  changing  currents  of  air  one  or 
more  birds  are  seen  to  leave  one  line  and  join  the  other. 
Their  modes  of  action  take  in  the  welfare  of  the  whole 
flock,  as  men  join  themselves  in  communities.  The  power 
which  carries  them  unerringly  through  the  clouds  or  over 
the  wastes  of  ocean  shows  a  marvelous  sense  of  direction 
in  the  birds.  How  do  they  choose  a  leader  from  a  hundred  ? 
They  have  their  natural  standards  of  courage,  endurance, 
and  quickness  to  observe  danger,  always  imminent,  and 
elect  by  an  accurate  preference  as  men  do  at  a  conference. 
The  bodies  of  the  birds  are  also  V  shaped  and  suggest 
the  shape  of  their  flying  ranks.  This  is  analogous  to 
fruit  or  clusters  of  it  taking  the  forms  of  the  heads  of 
trees  that  bear  them. 

Sometimes  our  domestic  geese  would  salute  their  wild 
brethren  passing  over  and  they  would  exchange  courtesies. 
In  the  storm  they  would  alight  in  a  meadow  or  river  or  lake 
to  feed  and  rest;  or  in  a  sticky  snowstorm  down  they  came, 
but  could  not  rise  until  their  snow  fetters  were  melted  off 
and  the  air  was  clear  again.  They  often  flew  high  in  fine 
weather,  far  beyond  the  reach  of  the  Waterloo  flint  musket. 
We  have  no  game  to  record  as  trophies  of  our  sights. 

Once  in  a  storm  of  wet  snowflakes  a  wild  gander  was 
belated,  and  remained  with  a  neighbor's  geese  all  his  life. 
He  took  charge  of  the  flock  and  all  the  goslings  had  the 
wild  marking,  always  without  any  variation,  which  is 
proof  of  strong  characteristics  when  compared  with  our 

US 


HOME-MAKING  AND  ITS  PHILOSOPHY 


tame  geese.  Yet  the  geese  of  wild  strain  were  not  quite 
so  large  or  heavy  in  the  market. 

About  the  first  of  June,  after  a  rain,  with  the  river  full 
to  the  brim,  one  of  the  boys  rose  from  the  breakfast  table 
for  some  good  reason,  and  going  to  a  side  window  saw 
what  he  supposed  were  a  mare  and  a  colt  in  the  grass  field, 
with  the  mother's  head  over  the  lower  gate  at  the  highway. 
Father  also  rose  to  see,  and  he  saw  a  large  mother  moose 
with  a  calf  at  her  side.  Instantly  we  were  on  the  wing; 
our  faithful  dog  Rover  did  the  barking  and  the  moose 
started  a  gentle  trot  to  the  river.  The  calf  was  young 
and  could  not  run  much,  and  as  quickly  as  we  closed  in 
towards  the  calf,  back  would  come  the  mother,  and  we 
had  to  retreat.  At  the  river  in  plunged  the  mother  and  the 
calf,  but  the  strong  current  drew  the  calf  to  our  bank,  and 
father,  with  the  active  aid  of  his  boys,  soon  had  the  young 
moose  safely  landed.  The  mother  halted  in  the  over- 
river  orchard  (see  farm  engraving)  to  watch  our  proceed- 
ings, and  we  thought  she  was  tempted  more  than  once 
to  return,  but  for  some  instinctive  reason  she  let  us  lead 
off  the  trophy  of  our  chase  and  install  it  in  the  stable,  to 
learn  of  our  civilizing  way  and  kindly  treatment.  We 
got  one  of  our  birch-bark  maple  troughs  and  taught  it  to 
drink  milk  as  a  calf  would  do.  In  a  few  days  he  could 
jump  our  pole  fences  with  ease,  and  finally  we  had  to  tie 
him  to  hold  him.  This  was  unfortunately  done  in  the 
hot  sun,  and  for  some  such  cause,  we  regret  to  say,  he  died, 
and  we  mourned  the  loss  of  our  new-found  friend. 

A  near  neighbor  reared  one  and  kept  it  for  two  years. 
It  would  go  to  the  woods  in  the  morning  and  browse  all 
day,  and  return  in  the  evening  for  an  inviting  drink  of 
milk.  It  would  stand  all  night  at  the  back  door  for  its 
morning  drink,  and  off  again.    It  was  sold  to  Captain 

114 


THE  TREES  AND  THE  BIRDS 


Chearnley  of  Halifax,  I  believe,  and  shipped  to  the  King 
of  Italy.  After  the  second  year,  however,  the  young  bulls 
are  likely  to  plunge  into  the  deep  forests  and  never  return. 
Our  domestic  cattle  have  scarcely  yet  lost  their  wild  nature. 
A  cow  bearing  her  calf  in  the  woods  will  hide  the  calf  in 
the  thickets,  and  if  only  a  day  old  it  will  be  wild  as  a  moose. 
We  had  numerous  instances'  of  this  on  the  farm.  It  was 
the  same  with  lambs  and  pigs  and  with  horses. 


"5 


CHAPTER  XVI 


A  SNOWSTORM 

FROM  1845  and  onwards  for  ten  or  fifteen  years  we 
saw  the  big  snowstorms  come  in  extreme  cold.  The 
river  valley  ran  from  east  to  west,  with  the  wind  that 
increased  the  draught.  They  began  after  deep-clouded 
calms  and  lowering  clouds  by  drifting  the  peppery  snow  that 
set  our  faces  tingling.  Faster  and  faster  came  the  drift 
which  softened  as  the  flakes  grew  larger.  There  was  busi- 
ness in  the  storm  ahead.  The  trees  about  the  buildings 
began  to  rock  and  creak.  The  gusts  of  wind  put  their  fibre 
to  the  test.  The  animals  of  the  stables  got  a  special  thought- 
fulness  and  care  to  make  them  comfortable.  The  stable 
doors,  both  large  and  small,  were  securely  hooked  or  but- 
toned; for  barns  were  not  as  warm  or  free  from  draughts  as 
they  are  to-day.  The  snow  would  sift  through  the  single- 
boarded  and  battened  buildings,  and  gave  us  heaps  to  shovel 
out.  The  wind  began  to  whistle  and  the  boys  to  laugh  at  the 
bowing  and  the  moaning  of  the  trees.  The  window-sills 
were  low,  and  the  sashes  small  with  heavy  ribs.  Against 
these  the  snow  would  stick  and  build.  It  was  at  the  cor- 
ners of  the  house  the  storm  gales  whistled  loudest.  Even 
the  chimney  joined  in  the  chorus  and  burned  twice  the  logs 
of  other  days.  In  those  evening  hours,  sitting  before  the 
blazing  hearth  with  the  cracking  and  electric  speed,  we  went 
at  intervals  to  the  doors  and  windows  to  peer  into  the  dark- 
ness and  measure  up  the  storm.  It  was  then  we  heard  the 
spoken  word  of  thankfulness  for  home  and  shelter  while 
many  a  traveller  or  seaman  was  tossed  or  lost.  We  caught 
the  deeper  meaning  of  the  lodging  words.  The  suffering 
of  the  allied  armies  in  biting  cold  Crimea  was  a  fruitful  cause 
of  sympathy,  and  sent  our  hearts  to  them.    The  house  was 

116 


A  SNOWSTORM 


low  but  still  it  shook  as  by  a  master  terrier,  but  ever  stood  its 
place  for  it  was  built  upon  the  rocks.  From  our  gable  beds 
we  boys  could  touch  the  slanting  roof  and  hear  the  wildest 
noises,  that  kept  us  long  awake  with  the  keenest  sense  for 
storms  like  those.  As  the  heaviest  winds  racked  and  wrestled 
with  the  house,  so  our  feelings  wrestled  within  us ;  and 
sometimes  we  jumped  out  of  bed  to  see  and  feel  the  storm's 
closer  touch  through  the  window-panes.  'Twas  here  we 
put  our  bare  feet  into  a  bowlful  of  sifting  snow,  or  our  hands 
into  a  cupful  on  the  sill.  By  and  by  the  storm  speech  of 
midnight  changed  to  dreaming  music  in  the  Boris  highlands. 
Next  morning  our  first  thought  was  to  be  up  and  out  and 
gauge  the  storm's  work  for  mother  and  the  younger  ones  who 
dare  not  venture  out.  The  doors  were  sealed  by  new  snow 
mountains,  and  the  house  was  banked  about  above  the  lower 
window-sash.  The  paths  were  more  than  double  filled, 
and  sleighing  roads  were  lost  in  snow.  Every  boy  wanted 
the  biggest  shovel  for  at  least  one  big  storm  like  this,  until 
the  perspiration  rained  about  him  and  he  cooled  his  ardor 
by  resting  on  the  handle. 

The  overseer  of  highways  called  out  a  community  of 
shovellers.  Some  brought  yokes  of  oxen  in  long  strings  with 
sleds  to  break  down  the  way.  When  they  got  anchored  in 
the  deepest  banks  the  boys  hurrahed  in  glee.  School  was 
closed  because  it  would  not  open  without  a  teacher,  and  we 
rejoiced  that  the  storm  elements  had  conspired  with  us, 
and  we  were  lovers  of  the  storms.  Longest  back  we  had 
the  weekly  mail,  then  bi-  and  tri-weekly,  and  now  a  daily 
one,  who  must  be  helped  through,  for  the  driver  was  our 
most  important  travelling  personage.  But  it  was  along  the 
deep  shelving  brook  glen  banks  we  learned  the  finest  archi- 
tecture the  world  can  see.  Man's  work  is  but  an  imitation. 
Its  winding  course  and  changing  angles  suited  the  storm's 

1*7 


HOME-MAKING  AND  ITS  PHILOSOPHY 


design  for  elaborate  illustrations.  The  spirit  of  the  storms 
had  been  minutely  planned  ages  ago,  and  worked  the  beauti- 
ful designs  in  celestial  styles  for  us.  The  forms  were  ex- 
pressed in  mountain  knolls  with  facial  projections  towards 
the  brook  which  in  a  general  way  ran  through  the  center  of 
the  glen,  or  here  and  there  pushed  hard  against  the  high 
and  grassy  banks  to  make  the  temples  or  palaces  of  snow. 
The  roofs  were  flat  or  sloping  towards  their  frontal  decora- 
tions. This  sculpturesque  construction  on  the  front  was 
slablike  alabaster  over  which  our  hand-sleighs  rode  jump- 
ing or  flying  on  aerial  missions  of  pleasure  through  a  boreal 
atmosphere  on  explorations  to  heavy  crust  long  frozen  down 
below.  On  our  circular  tracks  back  to  the  crest  we  saw  the 
sculptured  figures  of  cattle  heads,  lambs  or  lions  and  goats 
with  horns,  in  peaceful  association,  or  terraces,  pillars, 
alcoves,  arcades  very  popular  with  the  coaster  to  rest  therein. 
Above  the  capitals  were  cornices  and  brackets  and  cupolas  and 
ceilings  in  every  style  of  nature  making,  and  richly  flowered. 
Sometimes  the  columns  were  fluted  or  a  tower  panelled  and 
scrolled  and  moulded  in  fine  mosaics;  or  the  base,  shaft  and 
dome  chiselled  in  composite  tracery  and  frieze  of  the  later 
Corinthan  order.  These  banks  remained  the  winter  through 
and  every  storm  made  changes  for  us  that  enhanced  the 
finely  beautiful  and  picturesque  we  never  tired  of,  and  still 
would  love  to  see  and  coast  around  again. 


118 


CHAPTER  XVII 


LUMBERING  AND  BUILDING  BEES 

FATHER  built  a  new  barn  across  the  post  road,  just 
beyond  the  brook  bridge,  to  store  his  extra  hay  in- 
stead of  stacking  it,  which  he  never  liked  to  do  as 
there  was  much  waste.  The  site  was  on  a  gentle  hill  slope 
and  the  front  sill  of  the  barn  was  on  a  level  with  the  high- 
way. It  had  a  cellar  for  manure  and  an  under  storage  for 
carts  and  sleds.  He  timbered  one  winter  to  get  the  frame, 
and  another  winter  or  two  for  lumber.  The  timber  was 
laid  about  the  site  and  the  logs  were  rolled  into  the  mill 
pond  from  the  highroad.  It  was  worth  going  a  mile  to 
see  them  roll  onto  the  ice  or  into  the  water.  Two  men  with 
axes  and  the  boys  with  two  yoke  of  oxen  in  the  English  bows 
and  bob-sled  were  the  equipment,  with  a  couple  of  feet  of 
snow  to  grade  the  cradle-hills  and  hollows. 

We  went  on  the  Sheet  Harbor  Road,  where  father  owned 
a  lot  of  timber  land.  In  the  wind  the  trees  would  bend 
and  crack  with  frost,  and  it  seemed  they  Were  alive,  as  in- 
deed they  were  to  us  and  stirred  new  life  within  us.  We 
drove  in  the  winding  wood  roads,  sometimes  along  the 
breast  of  a  hill  which  was  sidling,  or  over  the  knolls  and 
hills  into  the  swamps,  where  birds  and  squirrels,  rabbits 
and  moose  left  their  tracks  or  came  in  sight.  The  woods 
were  always  interesting  and  we  were  never  lonely  there 
as  there  were  so  many  new  things  to  see,  all  full  of  grand 
expression.  The  choppers  felled  the  trees  and  helped  to 
load  one  end  upon  the  bunk,  drawing  it  over  a  lever  by  a 
yoke  of  oxen.  It  was  very  simple  and  very  easy  when  once 
the  art  was  learned.  It  gave  a  boy  a  wonderful  sense  of 
power  and  mastery  to  load  a  big  tree  alone,  as  many  times 
we  did  by  skilful  management.    We  were  never  beaten  at 

119 


HOME-MAKING  AND  ITS  PHILOSOPHY 


such  work,  but  were  always  victors  even  with  the  largest 
trees. 

When  all  was  ready  we  cracked  the  whip  behind  the 
oxen,  and  gave  the  word,  "Go  on!"  Sometimes  the  loads 
were  heavy,  and  we  would  stop  them  at  the  foot  of  a  hill 
to  give  the  team  breath,  and  then  the  ringing  snapper  re- 
verberated through  the  woods,  and  up  the  hill  they  went 
with  spirit,  for  they  well  knew  what  was  expected  of  them. 
Then  on  the  brow  they  stopped  again  to  fill  their  lungs  anew. 

While  at  this  work  we  gave  them  grain,  and  they  were 
young  and  quick.  Sometimes  a  load  upset  on  a  sidling 
road  or  over  a  bank,  and  then  we  learned  the  art  of  setting 
it  right  again. 

We  liked  the  woods,  we  liked  the  snow  and  frost,  and 
chewing  gum  fresh  off  the  big  spruce  logs.  What  we 
couldn't  use  we  put  in  our  pockets,  for  there  was  great  de- 
mand for  it  from  the  younger  ones  at  home. 

A  snowstorm  among  the  straight,  tall  trees  has  a  regal 
grandeur  in  falling  flakes  dropping  down  between  the  trees 
in  gentlest  grace,  unlike  the  windy  storms  in  the  open  fields. 
It  charms  us  by  its  quiet  fall  and  pearly  fleeces. 

Strange  divinity  of  snow 
Eager  this  world  to  know, 
Spotless  spirit,  not  of  earth, 
What  wild  power  invoked  thy  birth  ? 

Through  the  naked  trees  felPd  down 
Robed  in  white  transplendent  pall, 
Thou  descendest  silent,  free, 
None  thy  purposed  mystery  see. 

The  logs  were  yarded  by  the  highway,  where  double 
loads  were  drawn  to  the  mills  at  a  later  time.  At  noon  we 
fed  the  oxen  in  their  yokes,  made  a  fire  and  boiled  the  tea, 
and  kept  one  side  of  our  bodies  warm  while  lunching.  The 

120 


LUMBERING  AND  BUILDING  BEES 


meat  birds  in  their  pride  were  tame,  and  looked  for  crumbs 
and  got  them.  We  kept  ourselves  on  friendly  terms  with 
them,  either  in  the  woods  or  open  fields  or  trees  at  home. 

There  is  music  in  the  choppers'  axes  when  you  hear  the 
muffled  sounds  and  cannot  see  the  choppers.  It  is  a  sort 
of  distance  measurement,  and  tells  you  how  far  off  they 
are  in  a  new  and  unfrequented  road.  And  then  the  turn 
is  by  a  circle,  to  load  with  the  team  heading  outward,  and 
we  "Hello!"  the  chopper,  and  he  "Hello's!"  the  way.  Every 
step  of  the  way  is  full  of  movement,  over  hills  and  hollows, 
with  the  clink  and  rattle  of  the  chains  in  a  sort  of  rough 
melody  that  suits  the  woods  exactly,  for  everything  is  natural 
there,  even  the  men,  and  of  course  the  boys,  which  makes 
them  all  love  it  so. 

Then  in  the  spring  the  framers  came  to  hew  the  timber 
and  to  frame  it,  which  kept  the  axes  clicking  fast  and  the 
broadaxes  hewing  off  the  chips.  This  was  to  us  upon  the 
farm  like  ships  unloading  in  a  port  and  making  business. 
At  last  the  frame  was  ready  and  the  various  parts  arranged 
by  the  master-framer,  and  the  boys  were  sent  on  horseback 
to  ask  the  neighbors  of  the  countryside  to  come  to  the 
"raising"  at  one  o'clock  on  the  day  that  had  been  fixed. 
And  they  came.  At  first  the  sills  were  laid  upon  a  wall 
already  built,  four  square  with  intermediate  sills,  and  these 
were  laid  with  joists  and  then  with  scattered  plank  to  walk 
on,  but  the  boys  preferred  the  narrow  gauge  to  walk  and 
balance  over.  Next  came  the  posts  at  each  corner  and 
between,  and  when  this  was  done  it  bristled  with  points  like 
spires.  Then  followed  the  plates.  There  were  lots  of  men 
to  do  it  easily  and  make  a  frolic.  Up  went  a  plate  by  men 
on  ladders  with  others  on  the  ground  with  pike  poles  and 
anywhere  they  could  give  a  hand,  and  the  plate  was  set  on 
top  the  posts  into  the  mortises,  and  braced  until  the  barn 

121 


HOME-MAKING  AND  ITS  PHILOSOPHT 


square  was  completely  plated  and  beamed  with  the  big 
beams  overhead.  Next  came  the  rafters,  formed  together 
like  the  letter  A.  They  were  pushed  zenith-ward  at  the 
apex,  and  spiked  to  the  plates,  and  braced.  Then  another 
pair  and  another  followed,  and  were  set  about  four  feet 
apart  until  they  ran  from  end  to  end  and  all  were  securely 
stayed. 

At  four  o'clock  the  tea  was  ready,  the  horn  or  conch 
from  out  the  deep  blue  sea  was  sounded,  and  the  men  dropped 
all  tools  as  quickly  as  they  had  taken  them  up.  Mother 
had  set  tables  end  to  end  in  the  long  room  through  its  whole 
length,  covered  with  flaxen  linen,  bleached  white  upon  the 
grass,  and  woven  for  her  by  Mrs.  Henry.  Along  the  center 
line  ran  hills  of  bread,  thinly  sliced  and  buttered  fresh  from 
the  dairy,  and  buns  and  cakes,  et  cetera,  on  plates,  making 
a  sort  of  mountain  ridge  between  the  rows  of  hearty  men 
seated  along  both  sides.  The  girls  were  waiters,  and  if  not 
enough  girls  the  boys  gladly  lent  a  hand  and  passed  the  tea 
and  coffee  and  the  laden  plates  as  needed.  Good  cheer 
ran  along  the  lines,  swelling  up  here  and  there  among  choice 
spirits,  and  passed  along.  They  were  all  expected  to  eat 
as  heartily  of  mother's  fresh  bakes  as  they  had  worked, 
and  use  the  eggs  and  cream  and  cheese  she  tried  to  tempt 
them  with.  And  all  acceded  while  she  smiled  her  acknowl- 
edgments. 

After  this  back  to  the  building  they  went  to  complete 
the  framework,  and  leave  their  touch  of  finish.  When 
father's  thanks  and  good  night  were  said,  homeward  they 
went  their  several  ways,  feeling,  I  believe,  that  kindness 
and  good-will  were  a  good  thing  for  all. 

Our  work  was  now  cut  out  and  ready  for  months  ahead, 
to  board  and  roof  and  floor  before  the  haying;  and  out  of 
this  new  work  of  laying  and  hammering  the  boys  got  much 

122 


LUMBERING  AND  BUILDING  BEES 


fun  and  frolic.  This  book  could  not  hold  it  all  if  I  could 
write  it.  We  went  like  squirrels,  here  and  there,  high  up 
in  the  air  without  a  slip.  I  don't  recall  father  ever  asking 
us  to  climb  the  frame  without  our  willingness  to  risk  it. 
He  was  careful,  and  knew  our  strength  of  wrists  and  grasp 
and  daring,  and  he  let  us  use  them  with  a  word  of  caution. 
I  hardly  know  the  reason  why,  but  I  can  truly  say  I  have 
exacted  far  more  of  myself  in  industry  and  performances 
than  I  have  asked  or  exacted  from  others. 

The  evening  echoes  of  the  hammers  and  hatchets  kept 
harping  back  from  the  hills  and  from  the  mountain  slopes 
in  quick  succession.  The  dropping  of  a  bunch  of  shingles 
on  the  boarded  roof,  or  a  plank  upon  the  floors,  or  the 
piling  over  of  the  lumber,  sent  their  sounds  afar,  and  the 
echoes  came  back  louder.  There  was  a  wealth  of  satisfy- 
ing frolic  in  being  the  proud  instruments  of  all  this  noise; 
and  boys  and  girls  added  zest  by  sandwiching  in  their  share 
of  melody  or  discord  to  the  evening  hour. 

As  I  look  backward  I  wonder  at  how  quickly  the  sides 
were  single-boarded  and  the  roof  put  on.  Men  get  no 
other  help  like  boys  to  do  new  work,  clean  and  bright. 
They  will  bring  the  needed  article  in  half  the  time,  or  less, 
that  of  a  man,  and  bring  it  with  a  smile.  They  glow  so 
quickly  under  new  sensations.  I  almost  wonder  men  do 
not  remain  boys  much  longer  than  they  do,  to  laugh  and 
sing  in  glee. 

Our  boyhood  days  seem  rather  short,  with  work  and 
study.  Boys  should  get  more  trips  into  the  woods,  and 
relate  all  they  look  at,  and  be  taught  to  sing  there  as  the 
birds.  Their  echoes  may  tell  them  where  they  are  when 
out  of  sight  of  fields  and  clearings.  We  have  almost  lost 
the  art  the  Indians  have  of  knowing  where  and  when  some 
man  or  animal  has  been  in  a  certain  place,  and  how  far 


HOME-MAKING  AND  ITS  PHILOSOPHY 


it  is  away.  To  observe  and  notice  quickly  is  of  great 
value  all  the  way  through  life.  By  the  echoes  the  distance 
to  a  hill  or  a  mountain  is  known.  Life  in  the  forest  has 
a  fresher  and  a  fuller  expression  than  in  the  open.  Many 
of  the  people  of  the  woods  are  in  the  trees  watching  us 
and  our  odd  ways,  who  in  our  presence  are  most  likely 
to  be  silent  but  very  watchful.  Most  of  them  are  very 
much  afraid  of  us,  and  we  should  teach  them  otherwise. 

In  the  front  of  the  long  hay-cart  floor  stood  two  big 
barn  doors  hung  on  heavy  strap  hinges,  and  opened  wide 
against  the  sides  of  the  barn.  They  reached  almost  to 
the  roof.  All  doors  are  interesting,  both  great  and  small, 
from  some  particular  point  of  view.  The  new  barn  was 
to  hold  all  the  grain  and  some  hay,  and  the  mow  and  scaf- 
folds, of  which  father  could  adjudge  the  capacity,  were 
big  enough  to  leave  space  to  hold  grain  without  too  hard 
labor  in  stowing  back  and  down  the  shingles.  It  was 
through  this  doorway  the  loads  of  hay  and  grain  went  in. 
Some  of  the  loads  were  high  and  wide,  and  the  oxen  were 
brought  to  a  "whoa"  before  driving  in.  The  children 
slid  off  the  load  on  ladders,  or  father  caught  them  in  his 
arms,  and  many  a  laugh  burst  out  there.  Then  in  the 
oxen  went,  almost  on  the  run,  and  filled  the  floor  without 
a  foot  to  spare.  The  biggest  load  might  be  the  last  that 
night,  and  it  was  safely  housed  lest  rain  should  come. 

In  the  morning  grandfather  pitched  it  off,  with  boys 
for  stowers.  We  liked  to  climb  the  beams  and  jump  into 
the  mow,  which  thrilled  us  clear  through  to  the  hair.  Talk 
of  games  and  artificial  sports!  They  cannot  equal  this 
in  making  strength  and  courage.  When  the  load  was  oft 
and  the  cart  run  out,  away  to  the  field  we  went  to  shake 
the  swaths  of  hay  with  forks,  to  dry.  The  mowers 
whetted  their  scythes  while  we  kept  at  our  work,  with  a 

124 


LUMBERING  AND  BUILDING  BEES 


call  or  a  whistle  or  a  note  of  song,  and  tossed  the  wet  green 
hay. 

After  dinner  the  raking  and  the  loading,  and  then 
through  those  doors  went  every  load,  and  driven  so  it  would 
not  bind  too  much  in  pitching  off.  It  was  the  duty  of  the 
boys  to  open  and  to  close  the  doors.  The  ripening  grain 
was  very  full  of  rustle  when  dry  and  would  shell  on  the 
floor  where  the  hens  and  chickens  and  birds  found  rich 
feeding.  The  new  grains  and  first-ripening  kernels  were 
largest  and  we  used  to  wonder  how  lumps  of  chickens 
could  hold  so  much;  but  they  kept  a-growing  to  make  the 
room. 

When  buckwheat  was  ready  we  hauled  it  to  the  floor, 
always  on  a  very  sunny  day,  and  two  good  boys  or  men 
flailed  it;  while  one  had  suple  in  the  air  the  other  struck 
the  grain,  and  this  threshed  it  very  fast,  and  we  found  fun 
in  doing  it  because  we  did  it  fast.  The  doors  were  wide 
open  and  we  could  see  all  passers-by,  and  sometimes  they 
stopped  to  ask  how  the  grain  was  turning  out. 

There  was  usually  a  small  door  at  the  other  end  of 
the  floor,  looking  towards  the  river,  which  we  kept  open 
for  current  of  coolness  and  to  see  all  that  was  going  on 
while  the  flails  were  busy.  Whatever  we  did  we  were 
taught  to  do  as  if  some  one  were  looking  at  us  or  our  work, 
or  might  inspect  our  work  later.  Father  Was  accustomed 
to  speak  to  us  in  moderate  tones,  and  expected  us  to  listen 
quietly  to  all  he  had  to  say.  This  buckwheat  threshing 
was  in  September,  a  very  golden  month  for  getting  grains, 
and  the  doors  were  kept  standing  open,  and  closed  only 
in  storms.    In  October  we  threshed  the  beans  or  peas. 

After  this  barn  was  built  all  the  threshing  was  done 
on  those  floors.  The  cattle  door  opened  on  the  same  side 
and  latched  back,  and  almost  met  the  big  door  when  wide 

125 


HOME-MAKING  AND  ITS  PHILOSOPHY 


open.  Then  there  were  doors  where  we  fed  the  cattle 
(running  the  entire  length  of  the  barn  floor)  and  these 
we  kept  closed  in  cold  weather.  The  opening  and  closing 
of  all  doors  had  very  close  relation  with  what  we  were  to 
see  on  opening,  or  how  we  left  the  animals  in  comfort  for 
the  night. 

It  was  in  front  of  those  big  doors  that  the  large  revolv- 
ing thresher  of  boyhood  days  was  set,  with  the  mill  inside. 
Four  long  arms  or  poles  ran  out  and  at  each  pole  were 
harnessed  two  horses  abreast,  their  heads  being  tied  to 
the  pole  in  front.  Our  neighbors  came  to  help.  One  or 
two  men  pitched  down  the  grain,  another  shook  it  loose 
with  his  fork  and  moved  it  to  the  man  who  fed  to  the  thresher. 
One  man  stood  on  the  revolving  table  with  a  cracking 
whip,  driving  his  eight-horse  team,  others  shook  the  grain 
from  the  straw  and  forked  it  where  it  was  to  go.  At  the 
signal  the  horses  started  and  the  whir  and  noise  were  deafen- 
ing. Each  man  had  his  work  assigned,  and  there  was 
plenty  of  it  to  keep  him  steadily  at  work. 

One  hundred  and  fifty  bushels  was  a  good  day's  work, 
or  two  hundred  bushels  at  the  most,  and  very  dusty  work 
it  was.  We  boys  were  put  up  to  keep  the  straw  pitched 
back,  and  the  fine  dust  came  right  to  us  for  entrance  to 
our  throats.  None  of  us  were  ever  choked  to  death,  because 
we  kept  our  mouths  shut;  but  still  we  ate  our  proverbial 
peck  of  dust,  more  years  than  one. 

When  all  the  threshing  was  done,  we  shut  the  big  barn 
doors  to  keep  the  chickens  out  of  the  grain.  The  mill 
moved  to  the  next  farm  and  went  the  rounds.  We  opened 
these  doors  again  to  fan  the  grain  and  winnow  out  the 
chaff.  We  set  the  mill  to  suit  the  wind,  for  we  had  had 
our  dust.  While  George  and  I  turned  the  crank,  father 
fed  the  hopper  and  Arthur  held  the  bags.    I  remember 

126 


LUMBERING  AND  BUILDING  BEES 


how  it  tired  us,  too  much  motion  all  one  way.  We  kept 
up  the  speed  to  raise  the  wind  to  blow  the  chaff  free  from 
the  grain,  and  father  gauged  the  speed.  Then  we  stopped 
to  empty  the  bags  of  grain  into  the  bins.  This  was  a  change, 
and  we  could  take  a  look  over  the  hills  and  fields.  Change 
of  season  kept  it  ever  new. 

But  now  the  leaves  were  falling,  the  sunlight  was  shining, 
the  cattle  grazing  in  the  meadows,  and  the  cows,  so  full, 
coming  to  the  gates  ready  to  be  milked.  Each  knew  her 
milker  and  while  some  would  stand,  others  came  to  the 
pails  and  pleaded  to  be  milked,  and  we  understood  them. 
And  then  the  stable  doors  were  opened  and  they  went 
into  their  stanchions,  but  seldom  missing  their  own. 

The  calves  were  all  turned  in  loose  together  through 
the  little  door  into  their  place  under  the  barn  floor.  There 
was  a  simple  beautv  in  these  natural  arrangements  as  we 
performed  them,  following  each  other  as  they  did  in  a  sort 
of  easy  order;  or  in  other  words,  we  were  ready  to  do  our 
part  according  to  father's  system  in  which  he  had  trained  us. 

In  this  November  landscape,  composed  of  an  infinite 
variety  of  forms  and  figures,  we  had  the  colors  in  their 
various  shades.  There  were  the  old  barn  and  wagon-house 
of  mouse-colored  gray;  the  green  fields  frosted  with  silver 
in  the  mornings;  the  water  of  the  near-by  brook  and  river 
in  deep  blue  or  black  bands,  reflecting  green  and  coloring 
trees  in  yellow  and  red;  the  new  barn,  now  a  light  gray. 

Some  of  the  trees  were  naked,  and  the  wind  had  swept 
their  leaves  in  hills  or  heaps  or  windrows  along  the  fences 
or  under  the  poplars  or  in  the  fence  corners.  The  fences 
which  had  been  whitewashed  in  June  were  still  white, 
and  in  contrast  with  greens  and  grays  easily  suggested 
the  picturesque,  and  often  imparted  the  beautifully  unique, 
which  we  prized  more  and  more  as  we  grew  older. 


I27 


HOME-MAKING  AND  ITS  PHILOSOPHY 


The  chief  departments  of  the  farm  were  quite  separated, 
for  each  barn  had  its  own  barnyard;  the  sheep-run  was 
by  itself,  the  piggery  had  its  own  domain,  the  two  gardens 
and  orchards  were  in  their  enclosures.  The  tall  trees 
broke  up  the  sky  lines  by  rows  at  angles  with  one  another, 
while  in  the  broad  general  view  at  this  season  striking 
colors  in  scarlet  or  orange  dotted  the  scenery. 

We  may  be  pardoned  for  feeling  that  our  progenitors 
knew  how  to  preserve  nature  in  her  lovely  combinations, 
and  we  took  a  pride  in  what  they  had  done  and  thoughtfully 
worked  out  for  their  families.  We  learned  that  it  was  a 
constant  study  to  be  in  touch  with  nature.  The  horses, 
cattle,  sheep  and  lambs  peacefully  grazing  in  the  fields 
gave  a  lifelikeness  to  the  buildings. 

As  children  we  liked  the  work  of  looking  after  the  flocks 
and  the  herds  in  a  personal  way,  where  each  animal  was 
invested  with  an  individual  interest  or  attractive  charm 
for  its  own  sake,  but  more  because  we  met  them  among 
the  healthy  delights  of  field  and  wood. 

Life  must  have  been  deeply  accentuated  in  our  natures 
when  each  one  of  the  seven  children  had  the  same  family 
feeling  and  thought  in  common  about  the  old  homestead 
and  birthplace.  The  secret  of  this  whole  matter  is  very 
simple.  What  they  saw  in  nature  and  how  nature  planted 
it,  they  accepted. 

Each  season's  flowers  lasted  about  two  weeks  and  were 
herbaceous,  except  the  roses  and  the  lilacs.  These  made 
a  series  of  twelve  gardens  of  two  weeks  each,  in  assorted 
blooms.  In  fact,  gardens  are  being  prized  to-day  for  their 
fine  foliage.  Every  garden  has  its  axis  or  center.  In 
our  garden,  the  walk  where  our  mother  is  seen  standing 
awaiting  the  approach  of  friends,  is  the  axis  and  was 
the  point  of  perspective  and  divergence  we  loved  to  linger 

128 


LUMBERING  AND  BUILDING  BEES 


round.  A  house  is  planned,  and  from  its  center  hall  and 
entrance  the  rooms  are  in  easy  approach.  The  hall  of 
the  garden  is  its  central  walk,  and  from  some  center  here 
all  points  of  special  interest  are  suggested  and  reached 
by  a  path.  More  than  one  shady  recess  is  sought,  in  which 
to  rest  and  ponder,  by  men  and  women.  The  children 
will  use  them  at  all  hours. 


\ 


I2Q 


CHAPTER  XVIII 


HOME  SCENES  ENLARGED 

IN  JULY  the  fields  rapidly  changed  their  appearance. 
Chrysanthemums  or  daisies  came  into  bloom,  with 
hearts  of  saffron,  and  these  with  meadow  sweets 
creamed  the  fields  into  wondrous  beauty.  The  children 
gloried  in  these  meadows  of  mellow  beauty  and  wandered 
day  after  day  among  the  buttercups,  best  in  the  low,  damp 
places  where  they  took  on  the  richest  golden  shades. 
Clumps  of  wild  lilies  dotted  the  intervales.  They  had  a 
very  rich  brown  heart  and  were  somewhat  rare  and  we 
always  took  a  bunch  to  mother  at  noon. 

The  swing  of  the  scythes  in  the  dew  sung  their  euphoni- 
ous notes  in  "swish,  swish,"  and  it  was  joyous  music  which 
we  loved  to  hear.  The  farmer's  boy  has  these  stirrings 
within  him,  to  take  his  father's  scythe  and  keep  in  swing 
with  the  hired  men,  and  he  does  it  early,  too.  Sometimes 
the  last  clip  reveals  to  us  a  bee's  nest  in  sod,  which  claims 
instant  attention.  The  sentinels  are  aggressive  in  main- 
taining their  undisputed  natural  rights.  With  wisps  of 
hay  we  switched  all  flyers,  and  fenced  their  darts  with 
quickest  moves,  and  usually  took  their  citadel. 

When  disturbed  their  habit  was  to  fill  themselves  with 
honey,  even  to  gorging;  but  our  plans  were  otherwise. 
We  seized  the  comb  with  the  nectar  their  industry  had 
provided,  and  appropriated  it  to  ourselves.  As  to  birds' 
nests  in  the  grass,  we  were  usually  warned  by  the  chirpings 
of  the  mother  bird,  but  we  were  always  reverently  careful 
and  watchful  of  their  interests.  Those  in  the  grass  were 
mostly  the  nests  of  sparrows  and  of  blue-slated  juncos. 
If  a  snake  crossed  our  paths  our  dislike  was  shown,  and 
perhaps  both  were  sufferers.    Partridges  occasionally  flew 


HOME  SCENES  ENLARGED 


into  the  orchard,  and  two  or  three  days  there,  unmolested, 
tamed  them  wonderfully. 

Raccoons,  caught  when  young,  are  soon  tamed,  but  if 
taken  back  to  the  woods  are  quickly  wild  again.  There  is 
an  individuality  of  odors  belonging  to  the  trees  of  the  woods 
which  the  wild  animals  distinguish  and  follow  to  a  degree 
worthy  of  our  consideration.  The  grouping  of  deciduous 
trees  promiscuously,  and  perhaps  with  a  mixture  of  conifers, 
sends  out  a  laden  air  of  mixed  woodsy  fragrance  well  worth 
our  analytical  study  and  research.  The  power  to  hear  at  dis- 
tances varies  greatly  among  the  kinds  of  trees  that  stud  the 
woods.  Evidently  the  wild  animals  and  the  birds  know  their 
values  better  than  man.  We  remember  the  scarlet  tanagers 
and  thrushes  and  woodpeckers  flitting  in  silence  among  the 
open  hardwoods,  or  hawks  perched  high  out  of  harm's 
way,  taking  in  our  movements  with  shrewd  intelligence. 
Then  the  families  of  bluejays  and  nuthatchers  and  chicka- 
dees liked  to  be  among  the  mixed  woods  and  were  so  strangely 
inattentive  to  our  coming  that  it  piqued  us  some.  The 
woodcock  would,  in  early  May  or  June,  scarcely  move  out 
of  harm's  way  while  nesting.  The  robins  and  barn  swal- 
lows and  English  sparrows  noticed  us  and  loved  us,  and 
showed  it  in  social  ways,  and  we  loved  them  for  these  atten- 
tions and  their  pretty  little  doings.  Among  the  birds  the  long 
row  of  nests  under  the  eaves  was  perhaps  the  best  example 
to  the  children  of  house  building,  of  what  they  would  like  to 
do  in  later  life.  We  watched  these  swallows  go  to  the  mud 
puddles  by  the  score,  and,  rilling  their  beaks,  fly  to  their 
nests  and  pack  in  carefully,  as  a  mason  does  his  mortar. 

Here  standing  side  by  side  like  a  long  street  were  a 
hundred  nests  in  all  stages  of  construction.  The  walls 
or  divisions  of  the  nests  went  by  agreement,  while  in  some 
cases  nests  were  double  and  large  enough  for  two  mothers 

I3I 


HOME-MAKING  AND  ITS  PHILOSOPHY 


to  sit  side  by  side  in  peace.  How  do  they  convey  these 
specific  ideas  to  each  other  before  they  begin  their  nest 
building  ?  This  is  an  interesting  question  to  bird  lovers. 
There  are  other  tongues  than  the  English  language,  and 
the  swallow  tongue  may  not  be  a  written  one  as  yet,  but 
it  is  handed  down  from  father  to  son,  from  mother  to  daugh- 
ter, with  a  faithfulness  we  may  well  imitate.  The  preserva- 
tion of  the  good  and  useful  traits  in  our  ancestors  comes  to 
us  charged  with  an  affection  and  with  a  mission  to  hand 
them  on  to  posterity  increased. 

In  the  boys'  sleeping  room  up  stairs  a  papered  partition 
had  been  set  in  front  of  the  large  chimney,  and  a  little 
brown  door  a  foot  square  hung  on  hinges.  One  Sabbath 
morning  this  door  was  standing  open,  and  we  were  awakened 
by  an  unusual  chatter,  "Chee,  chee,  chee,"  in  animated 
bird  tones.  We  were,  of  course,  used  to  notes  pitched  in 
every  key,  surrounding  the  home  inside  and  out,  or  coming 
through  the  open  windows.  After  a  stretching,  a  yawning 
and  an  eye-rubbing  we  managed  to  see  the  sunlight  stream- 
ing in,  and  calling  us  too,  by  its  brightness,  but  the  greatest 
surprise  was  a  flock  of  chimney  swallows  or  swifts  sitting 
in  a  row  on  the  step  of  the  open  door.  The  mother  had 
guided  them  that  far  in  safety  and  seemed  anxious  to 
bring  them  before  us  for  our  admiration,  proud  of  her 
fine  feathered  family,  rather  than  to  take  them  up  the 
chimney — the  old,  smoky  way.  We  watched  them  awhile 
in  their  friendliness,  they  looking  at  us  in  our  lowliness, 
and  then  we  went  to  milk  the  cows. 

After  breakfast  we  went  to  call  on  our  little  door  visitors, 
but  they  had  gone  with  their  mother. 

The  robins  nested  on  the  ledges  of  the  house  or  out- 
buildings under  the  trees,  close  as  they  could  get  to  us 
without  nesting  in  our  hair,  hats  or  pockets.    We  have 

132 


HOME  SCENES  ENLARGED 


heard  of  old  coats  perched  on  a  pole  to  scare  the  crows 
and  a  wee  bird's  nest  found  in  a  pocket.  The  humming 
or  ladybirds  were  not  numerous,  but  awakened  in  us  ex- 
ceeding anxiety  to  know  more  of  them.  They  would  not 
wait  a  moment  after  coming  into  the  garden,  but  darted 
here  and  there  among  the  flowers,  and  paused  an  instant 
only  to  get  the  honey  nature  was  preparing  for  their  coming. 
What  impressed  us  most  was  their  quick  movements  on 
the  wing,  and  the  precision  with  which  they  approached 
each  tiny  flower  and  thrust  their  long  bills  into  the  flower 
for  the  very  drop  of  nectar.  With  what  nimbleness  and 
grace,  dressed  in  emerald  and  ruby,  they  sped  from  flower 
to  flower,  with  a  freshness  and  a  brightness.  They  live 
mostly  on  the  wing  and  in  the  air.  Perhaps  no  other  bird 
enjoys  more  one  eternal  springtime,  moving  over  north  and 
south  continent  deep  with  the  blooming  flowers,  and  living 
on  the  newly  made  dainty  honey,  for  it  plunges  its  tongue 
to  the  very  heart  of  the  flower  and  gets  the  best  the  world 
can  give,  and  it  is  incessantly  busy  from  sunrise  to  sunset, 
and  even  longer.  Their  cry  is  a  low,  clear  "crap."  They 
fan  the  air  into  music  as  they  pierce  and  hum  it  in  wonderful 
courage. 

Here  is  a  wonderful  everyday  life  from  its  beginning 
to  its  close.  Will  man — even  a  single  one — ever  be  emanci- 
pated from  the  wrongs  within  and  without,  to  live  as  happy 
in  this  world  ?  Oh,  the  irony  of  fate.  This  is  a  fact  and 
still  life  is  a  blessing.  "Come,  shed  abroad  a  Saviour's 
love"  to  mitigate  the  pain  of  living  and  breathe  into  the 
soul  of  man  hope,  hopes  and  useful  service.  To  live  right 
must  mean  to  live  joyously,  as  the  birds  do. 

There  were  two  or  three  small  ponds  on  the  farm,  but 
no  lakes.  One  was  the  size  of  two-thirds  of  an  acre,  back 
of  the  young  orchard  and  hayfield,  which  had  filled  up 


HOME-MAKING  AND  ITS  PHILOSOPHY 


level  by  washes  of  land  and  was  growing  black  spruces 
five  to  ten  feet  high.  Some  of  them  to  keep  above  the  wet 
stood  over  logs  and  sticks  which  were  now  wholly  moss- 
covered.  I  used  to  wonder  why  they  tried  to  grow  there, 
but  there  they  were — straight  and  pretty.  We  boys  used 
to  like  to  go  through  this  swamp  on  our  way  back  to  the 
burnt-hill,  walking  on  the  moss-covered  logs  with  bare 
feet,  chiefly  to  see  something  new.  I  remember  father 
sending  me  in  June  for  four  or  five  evergreens  to  plant 
for  shade  beside  the  dairy  room  partitioned  off  in  one  corner 
of  the  old  "Classie,"  once  the  gray  schoolhouse.  On  my 
way  crossing  this  spruce  pond  the  thought  came  into  my 
mind,  how  much  easier  to  dig  these  trees  than  those  on 
the  dry  uplands.  I  doubted,  however,  their  suitability; 
but  "Nothing  ventured,  nothing  won"  was  in  my  ears. 
Suiting  the  action  to  the  thought  I  seized  a  handsome 
tree  and  almost  pulled  it  up,  but  finished  by  cutting  a  root 
or  two  with  the  spade,  and  in  the  course  of  a  few  minutes 
I  had  a  backload  of  them  up.  The  few  roots  they  had 
were  covered  with  moss  which  kept  them  damp  and  cool. 
Returning  to  the  dairy  I  laid  them  in  the  shade  while  digging 
a  hole,  which  I  did  quickly  as  the  spirit  of  adventure  was  on. 
I  planted  at  once  and  covered  moss  and  all  with  good 
garden  earth,  something  the  roots  had  not  been  used  to. 
I  had  the  feeling  that  the  right  thing  had  not  been  done, 
and  in  their  changed  conditions  they  would  not  grow.  This 
lessened  the  pleasure  of  planting  trees,  which  was  usually 
delightful,  but  which  I  did  not  then  enjoy  to  the  fullest 
measure.  Father  had  some  words  of  praise,  which  I 
cannot  recall.  The  trees  were  large  enough  but  he  did 
not  ask  me  where  I  got  them.  The  sequel  is  easily  told, 
but  some  of  my  readers  are  already  guessing  it.  Every 
tree  grew  and  is  a  fine  tree  to-day.    So  much  for  a  little 

J34 


HOME  SCENES  ENLARGED 


originality,  and  doing  what  I  thought  might  answer,  yet 
did  not  understand.  What  we  feel  is  often  worth  more  than 
what  we  are  able  to  reason  out. 

In  this  inland  river  valley  with  hills  were  morning  fogs 
and  mists  in  summer  time,  followed  by  warm  hay-making 
days,  unless  the  fogs  clung  to  the  hills  in  the  morning.  In 
the  rising  of  the  morning  sun,  with  milk  pails  on  our  arms, 
we  were  sometimes  seen  wending  our  way  upwards  to  the 
milking  yard,  where  nine  to  thirteen  cows  knew  by  habit 
of  our  coming.  Father  called  us  to  rise  out  of  a  deep 
slumber,  and  his  first  or  second  cow  was  passed  before 
we  were  able  to  grasp  the  situation  in  the  yard. 

The  sun  rising  over  the  hills  had  a  fresh  charm  every 
morning,  for  clouds  or  clear  sky  varied  their  forms  and 
our  delights.  The  fog  followed  the  winding  river  in  thickest 
layers  as  far  as  we  could  see.  When  milking  was  over  and 
the  cattle  went  to  pasture,  we  saw  the  thick  mists  rise  with 
the  heat  of  the  sun,  and  by  eight  or  nine  o'clock  all  had 
thinned  and  vanished  in  nearly  all  shades  and  tints  and 
colors  over  the  open  hills  and  varied  forests.  A  panorama 
loomed  up  around  us  on  these  morning  walks,  and  they 
glow  in  our  retrospect.  The  trees  were  so  capable  of  color 
variation  when  in  the  midst  of  blue-gray,  smoky  mists. 
This  sacrifice  ascended,  enfolding  their  budded  twigs  or 
shrouding  the  heavy-leaved  branches  in  a  garment  of 
thinnest  curtain  beauty!  When  withdrawn  from  our  view, 
they  communed  within  the  veil  in  harmonious  introspection, 
promoting  growth  and  strength  to  full  stature.  The  maples 
of  the  rock,  silver,  red  and  mountain  varieties;  the  red, 
black,  canoe,  white,  sweet  and  golden  birches;  the  striped 
moosewood;  the  blue  or  hornbeam  and  American  beeches; 
the  white,  black  and  red  ashes;  the  large-toothed  aspens 
(popples),  with  trembling  leaf;  the  slippery  and  American 

135 


HOME-MAKING  AND  ITS  PHILOSOPHY 


elms;  the  white  oaks;  the  firs,  junipers,  black  and  red  and 
white  spruce;  the  white  and  Norway  pines;  with  many 
members  of  hemlock,  were  set  together  in  families  or  in 
mixed  communities,  or  all  in  one  broad  woodland,  mirrored 
in  our  lovely  home  landscape.  In  a  heavy  storm  one 
March  a  large  branch  from  a  maple  was  broken  down, 
and  with  the  coming  spring  our  injured  friend  ran  long 
sticks  of  icy  sweetness  without  our  help.  They  were  our 
friends  then  as  now.  The  little  birds  would  gather  about 
these  sweet  droppings  and  drink,  but  the  boys  broke  the 
icicles  and  carried  them  away. 


136 


OUR  BROOK  AT  HIGH  WATER,  COMING  DOWN 
"Through  narrow  gorges  here  you  foam — 
There  down  the  valley  rove; 
Like  youths  who  leave  a  quiet  home 

The  world's  delights  to  prove." — Joe  Howe. 


CHAPTER  XIX 


OTHER  LIFE  ON  THE  FARM 

OUR  big  brook  was  a  living  feature  of  the  homestead. 
It  took  its  rise  upon  the  top  of  the  Stuart  hill.  First 
a  trickling  stream  from  a  long  way  summit  into 
the  woods,  and  making  its  way  among  the  rocks,  down 
the  rapid  slope  it  gained  in  volume.  Then  it  ran  over 
rusty  slates,  standing  on  thin  edge  till  the  pastures  were 
reached  and  side  streams  flowed  in.  From  there  to  the 
river,  nearly  a  mile,  it  received  a  heavy  surface  flow  from 
both  sides.  It  brought  rolling  stones  and  moving  boulders 
which  it  delighted  to  roll. 

In  the  woods  were  a  running  stream  and  deep  pools  all 
summer  long,  where  the  cattle  liked  to  stand  in  the  cooling 
shade  and  drink,  but  in  the  open  the  water  sank  into  the 
gravel  until  the  next  rainfall.  Then  the  lightning  flashed 
and  the  thunder  rolled  amid  the  rainpour.  At  this  time 
the  family  brook  of  the  farm  was  grand,  rapid,  roaring 
and  eloquent  with  lordly  torrents,  which  ran  over  bridges, 
rolled  the  rocks  till  rounded,  and  hushed  all  voices  by  the 
thunderous  roar  of  its  billowy,  rushing  waters.  To  control 
its  obstreperous  rage  required  skillful  management. 

The  children  saw  it  in  all  its  moods  and  frolics,  even 
in  bare  feet  under  raised  umbrellas,  and  saw  its  uncon- 
trollable will,  getting  its  waters  quickly  to  the  river.  How 
a  child's  heart  would  beat  in  sheer  ecstasy  as  the  brook 
leaped  and  bounded. 

Along  its  margin  the  overflow  carried  stone  and  gravel 
upon  the  grass.  Father  had  one  year's  experience  with 
thousands  of  tons  of  gravel.  He  dyked  the  brook  and 
graded  the  highway  with  gravel  taken  from  the  overflow; 
but  in  time  he  conquered  the  invader  and  forever  after 

l37 


HOME-MAKING  AND  ITS  PHILOSOPHY 


held  it  in  control.  The  beauty  of  the  farm  had  gained 
immensely  by  the  hedge  and  the  gravel,  but  at  a  fearful 
cost.  Father  was  not  the  man  to  be  beaten  in  a  deserv- 
ing and  preserving  work,  and  this  trait  was  taught  and  em- 
phasized in  us. 

Potato  digging  with  forks,  or  ploughing  them  out,  was 
back-breaking  work  to  the  pickers.  But  the  children 
picked,  and  their  backs  were  withy  and  never  broke.  They 
might  stay  bent  while  the  baskets  were  filling,  but,  like  the 
bow  after  speeding  the  arrow,  they  straightened  up  again. 
We  were  all  glad  this  field  was  no  larger,  except  father, 
who  would  have  liked  to  fill  the  old  family  cellar  with 
fourteen  hundred  bushels,  as  in  the  olden  time. 

In  each  of  the  two  gardens  was  a  bed  of  multiplying 
onions,  the  size  of  a  large  room.  They  were  set  at  right 
angles,  six  inches  apart  in  rows.  The  sets  were  the  size 
of  our  damsons,  though  we  never  mistook  them,  and  would 
multiply  six  to  twelve  times.  They  were  the  strong-odor 
kind,  and  would  start  the  tears  quicker  than  a  birch  in  the 
hands  of  a  schoolmaster.  It  chanced  one  dark,  threaten- 
ing day  that  father  offered  to  peg  soles  on  my  shoes  if  I 
would  weed  the  bed  of  onions.  To  weed  alone  was  unusual 
and  made  me  virtually  superintendent  of  the  onion  bed, 
as  well  as  workman,  which  gave  me  in  a  new  sense  much 
satisfaction.  I  went  to  the  bed  with  my  new  office.  I  looked 
it  over  much  as  an  engineer  with  a  complex  work  on  hand. 
The  weeds  were  growing  well  and  almost  in  bloom  with 
the  onion  tops  and  in  a  few  days  would  make  a  fragrant 
square  of  flowers,  superior  to  any  we  had  attempted.  The 
wind  wave  swept  the  odors  across  to  me.  I  suspected  our 
visiting  friends  might  not  enjoy  the  odors,  as  I  was  schooling 
myself  to  do.  I  kept  walking  around  the  square.  By  this 
time  a  drizzling  rain  set  in,  from  which  I  got  a  new  thought. 

138 


OTHER  LIFE  ON  THE  FARM 


It  did  seem  as  if  there  should  be  more  advanced  farm  and 
garden  methods  than  we  practised  in  doing  our  work. 
More  was  expected  of  the  rising  generation.  We  had  often 
heard  that.  I  felt  the  stirring  of  something  within  me  to 
do  something  in  the  world.  Still  there  were  risk  and  danger 
in  departing  from  the  old  paths.  My  plan  seemed  like 
diving  head  first,  with  my  two  hands  palms  in,  pointing 
to  the  deep  water  at  the  bridge.  We  boys  did  that  success- 
fully and  at  our  own  initiative,  and  why  not  with  the  onions  ? 

The  time  for  beginning  the  work  was  passing.  The 
decision  in  a  sense  rested  with  me.  The  plan  was  simple, 
quick  and  thorough.  I  had  the  hoe  but  needed  the  garden 
rake  and  fork.  I  went  for  these  and  collecting  all  the  tools 
together  helped  to  the  decision.  I  had  lost  much  time  in 
considering  the  matter.  I'll  run  the  risk  of  making  a  new 
record,  thought  I.  We  had  been  making  records  at  school. 
I  walked  round  to  the  right-hand  lower  corner  and  dug 
six  inches  deep,  taking  out  all  the  weeds  and  the  onions 
together  and  separating  carefully  by  hand.  After  raking 
the  beds  smoothly  as  we  had  been  taught  and  using  a  straight- 
edged  board  as  a  marker,  I  set  the  onions  in  a  straight 
row  and  soon  had  all  planted,  because  I  went  at  it  with 
spirit.  As  I  surveyed  my  work,  it  gave  me  an  exhilarating 
satisfaction  as  the  tools  were  gathered  and  placed  in  the 
piggery  after  using,  as  was  our  rule.  I  had  accomplished 
a  good  thing  that  day. 

The  rain  was  coming  faster,  the  onions  had  not  been 
in  the  sun  and  their  tops  were  as  erect  as  before.  The 
bed  was  thoroughly  cleaned.  It  was  well  done,  the  rain 
and  the  weeding  were  timed  together.  I  went  into  the 
house,  out  of  the  rain.  Father  was  still  pegging.  "Well, 
father,"  said  I,  "I  got  through  first."  "Have  you  finished 
weeding  the  onions,"  he  asked.    "Yes,"  I  said,  "and  the 

139 


HOME-MAKING  AND  ITS  PHILOSOPHY 


bed  is  as  clean  as  a  whistle,  and  it  will  not  need  weeding 
again  this  summer.  I  did  it  in  a  better  way,"  and  I  told 
him  how  it  was  done.  "And  it  is  raining  now,  and  they  are 
starting  to  grow." 

I  can  see  his  look  of  disappointment,  and  then  I  began 
to  feel  I  had  made  a  mistake  when  he  told  me  they  would 
not  grow;  and  indeed  they  did  not,  no,  not  one. 

The  beauty  of  this  incident  lies  in  the  fact  that  father 
never  referred  to  it  again,  except  once  when  he  said  in  the 
presence  of  the  family,  "We  will  not  have  any  onion  sets 
for  next  year's  planting."  But  grandfather  had  plenty. 
He  weeded  on  his  knees  in  the  old-time  way,  and  both 
houses  had  their  household  supply  as  usual.  Mother  made 
the  pickles  from  onions  and  cucumbers,  and  the  vinegar 
with  the  mother  plant.  Such  things  were  never  bought, 
but  home-made. 

Onions  were  usually  a  good  crop,  raised  on  the  same 
ground  year  after  year.  A  young  fellow,  not  knowing 
their  strength,  undertook  to  peel  half  a  bushel  one  afternoon. 
It  was  not  long  before  the  tears  started,  and  he  moved 
to  the  outer  air  with  needles  in  his  teeth.  I  believe  he 
accomplished  it. 

Boys  will  be  boys  and  girls  will  be  girls  in  mischief 
making.  We  had  an  out-door  tannery  at  the  brookside, 
and  the  tanning  was  done  in  large  hogsheads.  Father 
peeled  the  hemlock  bark  about  the  period  when  mosquitoes 
and  sandflies  were  out  in  full  force,  and  piled  it  up  to  dry 
to  be  hauled  later  to  the  wagon-shed  for  storage  and  rossing. 
It  was  chipped  over  a  wooden  horse,  and  in  this  way  leather 
was  provided  for  all  useful  purposes  and  some  to  sell  to 
the  neighbors,  who  usually  paid  for  it  in  work  on  the  farm. 

The  little  things  were  looked  after  to  prevent  waste. 
Mooseskins  and  bearskins  were   tanned  with  alum  and 

140 


OTHER  LIFE  ON  THE  FARM 


softened  and  lined  at  home  for  robes.  One  family  of 
Indians  killed  seventy  moose  in  one  year.  These  methods 
nourished  an  independence  and  a  confidence  in  farming. 
Sister  Emily  writes,  "Father  possessed  the  spirit  of  true 
independence  and  lived  within  his  income.  He  lived  a 
very  strenuous  life.  There  was  not  that  division  of  labor 
nor  farm  machinery  to  lighten  the  toil,  and  farm  products 
were  sold  in  the  Halifax  market  at  low  prices." 


141 


CHAPTER  XX 


THE  FORGE  AND  THE  FARM 

ACROSS  the  brook,  on  a  dry  level  in  a  turn  of  the 
stream  and  crossed  by  a  long  timber  reaching  the 
banks,  was  the  pathway  to  the  blacksmith's  shop. 
In  that  day  it  was  three  miles  to  a  forge,  and  father  did  the 
forge  work  of  the  farm  himself.  He  had  learned  when  a 
young  man  that  when  he  struck  the  white  iron  it  welded. 
I  was  the  boy  at  the  bellows  and  never  saw  him  miss  the 
weld.  George  and  I  tried  it  at  different  times,  but  it  was 
either  too  cold  or  too  hot  and  the  iron  was  burned  and 
ruined.  George  succeeded  occasionally  and  his  pardonable 
pride  would  rise.  It  was  when  a  rainstorm  was  on  that 
we  resorted  to  the  forge.  The  shoeing  of  three  horses  and 
oxen,  repairs  to  chains  and  carts  and  wagons  and  sleds, 
and  a  hundred  other  little  things  were  done  on  the  odd 
days  or  evenings,  while  many  others  were  at  the  fireside 
or  corner  grocery  discussing  parish  politics. 

The  boys  were  not  worked  too  hard,  though  indolent 
folks  said  so,  but  father  was  ever  careful  to  see  that  the 
limit  of  reasonable  application  was  not  exceeded,  while 
mother  was  ever  keenly  alert  to  ward  off  risk  or  danger 
from  the  children. 

Father  had  suffered  in  boyhood  in  driving  two  or  three 
pairs  of  fat  oxen  to  Halifax  market.  Grandfather  had  a 
wagon  load  with  two  horses  in  tandem,  when  a  rain  came 
on  and  father  with  wet  feet  rode  the  leading  horse  and 
with  the  whip  kept  the  oxen  at  the  pace.  It  suddenly 
turned  cold.  The  colds  and  chills  eventually  brought  on 
a  painful  form  of  acute  rheumatism,  which  made  him  a 
great  sufferer  at  many  recurring  periods  of  his  life.  But 
his  courage  and  ambition  never  failed  him.    He  had  assumed 

142 


THE  FORGE  AND  THE  FARM 


the  responsibilities  and  maintenance  of  a  family.  His 
ideal  was  high  and  he  must  carry  it  along  at  least  on  as  high 
a  plane  as  others,  while  preserving  an  inflexible  integrity 
for  his  own  conscience  sake. 

About  ten  years  after  his  marriage  he  took  his  man  and 
ox  team  to  the  intervale  to  sled  off  logs  which  the  river 
freshet  had  left  upon  the  grass.  While  loading  the  logs 
it  appears  that  a  hired  man  let  go  at  a  critical  moment, 
and  the  heavy  weight  came  upon  father,  causing  a  strain 
and  injury  to  the  small  of  the  back,  resulting  in  inflammatory 
rheumatism  of  the  most  painful  description.  For  nine 
months  at  one  time  he  was  in  his  bed,  with  straps  sus- 
pended, and  with  his  arms  he  turned  himself  in  bed.  Yet 
he  ever  kept  himself  in  close  touch  with  the  farm  manage- 
ment. 

After  these  protracted  periods,  as  the  result  of  pain 
his  face  took  on  a  sadness;  but  when  he  smiled,  a  sweetness 
we  never  can  forget.  None  of  his  children  have  ever  suffered 
as  he.  These  were  trying  times  for  mother,  with  a  hired 
man  to  pay,  who  did  indifferent  work.  The  children  were 
not  able  to  help  much.  Expenses  of  living  had  to  be  met, 
doctor's  bills  and  medicine  to  be  provided,  and  these  were 
a  training  for  mother  which  made  her  afterwards  a  true 
heroine. 

Our  parents  had  an  unconquerable  resolution  to  equal 
the  demands  these  severe  conditions  imposed.  They  had 
calmness  of  spirit,  control  of  mind,  faith  and  hope,  always 
looking  beyond  the  lowering  clouds  and  seeing  the  shimmer- 
ing light  of  a  better  day.  It  meant  smiles  through  tears, 
joy  through  suffering,  sweetness  in  embitterment,  weariness 
without  rest,  hope  without  full  fruition  here.  We  did  not 
see  it  then.  We  were  too  young.  One  of  the  saddest 
things  in  human  life  is  that  young  people  do  not  gratefully 

143 


HOME-MAKING  AND  ITS  PHILOSOPHY 


realize  what  their  parents  are  enduring  for  them  until  too 
late  to  repair. 

At  last  father  rose  from  that  languishing  bed  and  sat 
in  a  new  arm-chair,  cushioned  by  the  hands  of  mother  and 
the  girls,  and  once  again  he  went  over  the  green  fields  and 
gathered  in  the  harvests. 

"To  have  no  other  desire  than  to  live  the  gospel  of 
good  will,  lean  towards  Jesus  and  He  will  lean  towards 
you."  Diligence,  intelligence  and  brotherly  love  will  make 
the  world  into  a  garden  of  fruitful  boughs,  a  place  of  homes 
and  happy  people  in  peace  and  prosperity.  To  acquire 
these  we  must  be  responsive  to  God's  tender  thought  for  us. 
Without  confidence  in  Him  we  cannot  get  the  blessing 
we  seek  for.  There  is  nothing  accomplished  by  self  alone 
that  is  of  full  payment  for  our  pains.  Father  lived  in 
daily  communion  with  God,  and  He  was  with  him  to  the 
end. 

The  salting  boards  for  the  cattle,  sheep  and  horses  were 
an  institution  of  the  farm  in  the  beginning  of  the  nineteenth 
century  and  the  children  liked  to  see  the  animals  come  at 
their  call  and  lick  and  lick  the  salt  all  away.  There  was 
a  black-faced  ewe  which  was  first  at  the  boards  morning, 
noon  or  night.  She  was  a  pet,  and  her  annual  twins  liked 
the  salt  too.  Grandma  was  a  favorite  with  the  sheep; 
and  with  a  plate  of  salt  and  a  call,  "Nannie,  Nannie,"  they 
would  flock  around  her  in  a  twinkling. 

They  liked  to  come  along  the  bank  and  by  the  willows 
on  a  hot  day.  They  would  crop  the  weeds  and  grasses 
among  the  young  poplars  as  no  other  of  our  domestics 
would  do. 

It  was  the  rule  never  to  disappoint  the  animals.  The 
horses  had  to  be  caught  with  salt  or  oats  in  the  pan,  and 
if  once  deceived  they  did  not  forget,  and  might  turn  around 

144 


THE  FORGE  AND  THE  FARM 


suddenly  and  kick  us.  The  spring  coming  of  the  calves, 
lambs,  and  colts,  the  little  pigs,  goslings  and  chickens, 
brought  out  the  tender  side  of  human  nature  and  kindliness 
for  the  innocents.  We  fed  and  housed  them,  and  handled 
them  as  their  pleasing,  funny  ways  were  shown.  They 
relied  on  us  for  comfort  with  confidence,  and  from  that 
we  got  a  reflex  strength  along  meek  and  merciful  lines. 

There  was  wondrous  music  in  the  tinkling  of  their  bells, 
which  kept  us  in  constant  touch  with  their  places  of  feeding. 
It  was  their  habit  to  assemble  on  the  hottest  day  on  the 
summit  of  the  round  hill,  where  the  breezes  played  and 
kept  the  stinging  flies  away.  The  horses,  cattle  and  sheep 
were  all  here  in  peaceful  companionship,  some  grazing, 
others  standing  cudding,  while  others  were  resting.  Few 
scenes  are  more  picturesque  and  truly  beautiful,  appealing 
more  to  man's  highest  ideal  of  actual  comfortable  rest, 
than  this.  We  love  it  still  and  cannot  help  loving  it  always! 
As  the  day  cooled  they  wandered  off  to  the  Annand  com- 
mons, and  in  the  evening  we  knew  where  to  find  them. 
The  sheep,  too,  were  rounded  up  and  brought  in,  and 
counted  and  yarded  for  safety.  The  calves  were  in  a  small 
field  near  the  house  where  they  were  fed  with  skimmed 
milk,  while  the  buttermilk  went  to  the  piggery. 

The  buttermilk  keg  near  the  cellar  entrance  was  no 
mean  institution.  Sometimes  the  milk  was  fresh,  but  often 
sour.  The  boys  liked  it  best  then.  The  chores  of  the 
morning  and  evening  were  allotted  and  kept  us  in  incessant 
life.  Sometimes  we  had  pets  who  fell  to  our  care,  and 
the  girls  and  boys  were  alike  their  friends.  One  year  we 
had  a  pet  lamb,  and  we  taught  it  to  suckle  a  low-set,  quiet 
cow  named  Spot.  As  it  grew  it  would  slip  away  with 
her  to  the  hills,  and  they  developed  a  mutual  friendship 
interesting  to  see.    The  lamb  soon  learned  her  "boo" 

H5 


HOME-MAKING  AND  ITS  PHILOSOPHY 


and  kept  with  her,  and  I  think  the  cow  learned  the  language 
of  the  bleating  lamb;  and  moreover  if  we  called  "Lambie, 
Lambie,"  it  would  run  to  our  arms. 

It  chanced  one  evening  the  cows  were  coming  home, 
and  the  lamb  was  not  with  them.  I  skipped  over  the  hills 
and  up  and  down  the  brooks,  sashed  with  trees,  where 
I  had  seen  the  cows  that  day,  calling  "Lambie,  Lambie." 
The  sun  had  gone  down  and  the  darkening  night  shadows 
were  spreading,  and  not  a  sight  or  sound  could  I  get  of 
my  lost  lamb.  In  sheer  desperation  I  felt  it  must  be  found. 
I  ran  across  the  head  of  the  Annand  pastures,  where  I 
thought  the  cows  had  been,  calling  and  listening  for  a 
moment.  It  was  now  nearly  dusk  and  wild  animals  might 
be  prowling  around,  yet  nerved  by  the  lateness  I  ran  into 
an  open  woodland  on  our  lot  on  the  hill-slope  back  of  the 
round  hill,  calling  for  the  lamb  to  keep  up  my  courage, 
for  bears  had  been  seen  here.  I  called  and  stopped  to  listen 
and  thought  I  heard  a  bleat,  but  was  not  sure.  Wild  cats 
imitate  voices — at  least  I  had  heard  so.  I  called  again 
more  loudly  than  ever,  and  was  answered  by  the  cry  of  a 
lamb.  I  ran  quickly  through  the  dark  bushes  towards 
the  bleat,  and  there  in  a  hollow  of  a  cradle-hill  lay  the 
lamb  on  its  side,  stiff  and  unable  to  stand.  I  took  it  in 
my  arms  and  ran  out  of  the  woods  and  down  the  three- 
fourths  of  a  mile  at  a  boy's  running  pace  when  keyed  to  a 
run.  By  some  guiding  thought,  I  knew  not  what,  I  went 
to  the  cow  and  streamed  the  warm  milk  down  the  throat 
of  the  lamb,  scarcely  giving  it  time  to  swallow.  In  a  few 
minutes  the  stiffness  relaxed,  and  I  stood  it  on  the  ground, 
and  though  it  staggered  like  a  drunken  man  it  was  better. 
I  gave  it  more  milk  until  it  could  hold  no  more,  and  took 
it  to  the  house,  where  I  told  the  story.  Father  said  that 
it  had  probably  eaten  lambkill,  a  poisonous  plant,  and  I 

146 


THE  FORGE  AND  THE  FARM 


was  fortunate  in  finding  it  that  night.  The  new  milk  kills 
the  poison.  After  this  the  lamb  was  kept  at  home,  where 
there  were  no  poisonous  plants,  and  it  grew  until  it  could 
grow  no  longer. 

The  farm  life  had  some  happenings  almost  every  day, 
where  there  were  large  families  of  children.  Our  winters 
were  spent  in  cutting  and  sledding  thirty  cords  of  hard- 
wood for  the  homes,  a  thousand  spruce  poles  or  so  to  make 
new  fencing,  and  the  milling  of  a  few  logs  for  boards,  pickets 
or  fencing  around  the  house  or  garden.  Father  was  very 
particular  to  keep  the  fences  erect,  the  roadside  clean  and 
trim,  and  to  encourage  others  to  do  the  same. 

A  little  later  our  brother  George  put  up  a  neat  broad 
panel  fence  from  the  new  barn,  the  longest  and  best  new 
fence  the  farm  had  ever  seen. 


H7 


CHAPTER  XXI 


VISITING  RELATIVES 

FATHER  and  mother  had  some  very  dear  kin  living 
beyond  the  farm  circle,  and  between  them  letters 
full  of  esteem  and  love  were  ever  passing,  contain- 
ing greater  fullness  with  the  years,  as  an  overflowing  river, 
and  we  shared  in  this  rich  bequeathment  and  will  pass  it 
on  down  the  ages.  I  have  before  me  a  double  letter,  torn 
and  in  fragments,  from  Uncle  George  and  Aunt  Mercilla. 
She  was  the  adopted  niece  of  the  late  Thomas  Wesley, 
marble  worker,  of  Halifax.  The  letter  is  dated  "The 
Plains,  October  13,  1852."  Aunt  Mercilla  had  just  re- 
turned from  Musquodoboit,  and  uncle  in  this  letter  is 
chaffing  mother  that  aunt  had  come  home  so  thin  he  scarcely 
knew  her,  and  wanting  to  know  why  she  did  not  give  her 
enough  to  eat.  Mother  had  been  chaffed  before  for  wear- 
ing artificial  flowers,  and  uncle  wants  to  know  the  relative 
value  between  the  flowers  and  a  breadless  dining-table, 
and  if  this  artificial  spirit  is  on  the  increase.  Mother  met 
this  chaffing  with  an  amused  smile,  and  uncle  was  obliged 
to  call  the  honors  even. 

It  really  began  a  few  years  before,  when  they  took  a 
sailing  trip  together  from  Halifax  to  Sydney  to  visit  their 
parents,  which  proved  to  be  a  joyous  trip,  and  to  which 
reference  was  afterwards  often  made.  Then  uncle  wants 
to  know  something  about  oak  tubs  for  butter.  All  of  which 
ends  in  sending  their  united  esteem  to  grandfather  and 
grandmother,  Doctor  Archibald,  Wallace,  Uncle  Sammy 
and  Aunt  Alice,  and  each  of  the  children  by  name. 

Uncle  Samuel  and  Aunt  Charlotte  Peters  were  relatives 
beloved.  Their  letters  always  breathed  the  soul  of  love 
and  affection,  which  is  worth  more  than  silver.  These 

148 


VISITING  RELATIVES 


lives  were  bound  together  in  mutual  love,  growing  deeper 
with  the  years.  We  children  lived  in  its  radiance,  and 
lives  were  made  happier  by  the  overflowing  of  mutual 
friendship  and  growing  esteem. 

It  was  between  the  years  1855-1860  that  Uncle  William 
was  married,  and  Uncle  Samuel  and  Aunt  Charlotte  planned 
a  bridal  trip  and  an  autumn  drive  from  Sydney  to  Mus- 
quodoboit  with  a  good  span  of  horses.  I  see  them  still, 
as  they  drove  up  in  the  evening  of  an  autumn  afternoon, 
and  it  was  on  a  sharp  trot  they  pulled  up  at  the  door.  We 
were  expecting  them  and  counting  the  days'  journey  stage 
by  stage,  for  mother  and  I  had  been  over  it  before.  They 
were  not  tired,  nor  were  the  horses. 

We  boys  took  charge  of  the  horses  and  rubbed  them 
up  and  down,  and  fed  them,  and  they  rested.  By  and  by 
they  were  watered  and  rested  again.  Even  the  animals 
enjoy  every  attention  in  good  feeding.  For  days  and  weeks 
the  household  had  been  keyed  to  their  coming,  and  we 
children  were  full  to  bubbling  over.  We  ran  from  this  to 
that,  and  from  that  to  this,  to  let  off  accumulating  youth 
which  would  not  stay  pent.  The  welcomes — "How  are 
you  ?  How  well  you  look!  We  are  glad  to  see  you  here." 
A  bride  always  looks  well  and  beautiful,  for  she  is  at  her 
best.  Soon  follow  the  refreshing  cup  of  tea  and  running 
comment  on  the  trip.  The  brightest  scenes  and  incidents 
came  first.  The  last  day's  drive  was  through  a  forest  road, 
fourteen  miles  without  a  house,  and  still  there  is  none 
to-day.  How  the  moose  stood  in  the  road  and  gazed  at 
the  bridal  pair  until  the  horses  stopped;  and  a  bear  stood 
up  and  presented  arms  and  sullenly  declined  to  move; 
the  many  flocks  of  partridges  that  kept  the  woods  in  con- 
tinual interest,  were  all  related  in  prose  and  poetry,  and  in 
imitation  bird  song,  for  they  were  full  of  song  themselves 

149 


HOME-MAKING  AND  ITS  PHILOSOPHY 


from  morn  till  night  with  rich  and  stirring  music.  They 
had  many  new  books  from  which  they  sang  many  songs 
we  never  heard  before  but  soon  we  sang  them,  too.  The 
old  "Red  House"  ceiling  was  too  low  for  the  tide  of  musical 
volume,  and  the  roll  of  swelling  music  almost  raised  it  to 
make  room  for  more.  If  the  timbers  of  the  house  were 
filled  as  we  were,  they  must  be  singing  still  in  mellow  whisper- 
ings as  in  days  of  yore. 

Sandy  Henry  lived  within  a  mile  and  was  our  handy 
man.  He  was  always  ready,  even  if  he  left  his  own  work 
undone.  If  the  sheep  were  to  be  washed  in  the  brook 
or  their  fleeces  clipped,  or  the  lambs  were  to  get  their  mark- 
ings, or  the  larder  to  be  replenished,  or  a  new  furrow  struck 
as  a  straight  line,  or  a  wild  animal  trapped,  and  a  hundred 
other  little  things  which  in  years  of  boyhood  needed  doing, 
Sandy  was  the  obliging  man  who  came  to  do  them  when 
most  wanted.  These  little  deeds  of  kindnesses  I  take 
pleasure  in  recording  here. 


150 


CHAPTER  XXII 


A  PERILOUS  WINTER  ROAD 

THE  wood  was  sledded  down  the  mountain  side, 
where  we  had  many  hairbreadth  escapes.  Father 
was  the  engineer  and  had  a  heavy  yoke  of  oxen 
for  the  tongue,  that  were  well  shod.  The  sled  was  loaded 
and  the  wood  bound  in  place,  so  that  it  could  not  move. 
The  way  had  cradle-hills  which  was  an  advantage,  for 
when  the  sled  dipped  into  the  snowy  hollows  the  oxen  were 
able  to  bring  it  to  a  standstill  and  move  gently  over  to  the 
next.  In  icy  times  their  holding-back  powers  were  tested,, 
but  in  deep  snows  they  kept  control.  Sled  locks  were  sure  to 
break,  running  over  immovable  rocks,  or  the  team  was  un- 
able to  proceed  with  the  load.  Great  skill  was  needed  in 
driving  to  bring  the  load  to  a  stand  at  the  right  point.  Even 
as  I  write  I  feel  the  muscles  tighten  at  the  brow  of  the 
mountain,  for  there  was,  so  to  speak,  the  psychological 
moment  to  force  the  oxen  to  a  stop;  for  momentum  once 
gained  would  be  beyond  control.  Xone  of  us  were  hurt, 
which  speaks  much  for  accuracy  of  judgment. 

While  father  was  in  command  all  went  with  confidence, 
we  learned  the  art  fully,  and  soon  had  the  experience. 
We  had  the  habit  of  venturing,  but  it  was  in  a  thoughtful 
way  and  with  skill.  There  is  a  wild  exhilaration  in  flying 
along  the  edge  between  safety  and  danger.  The  older 
boys  were  venturesome  and  often  chose  the  risky  edge. 

The  youngest  boy  was  intended  for  the  ministry,  and 
was  named  for  the  Rev.  Arthur  Crawley,  Baptist  missionary 
to  Burmah.  Father  designed  this  at  his  birth,  and  dedi- 
cated him  in  prayer,  but  father's  early  death  withdrew 
the  human  agency  towards  carrying  to  fulfilment  his 
deeply  cherished  hopes.    Arthur  had  literary  tastes  and 


HOME-MAKING  AND  ITS  PHILOSOPHY 


taught  school  for  years.  He  and  his  family  are  now  ranch- 
ing on  a  square  mile  of  homesteads  in  the  Province  of 
Alberta.  A  little  after  father's  death  Arthur  dropped 
the  name  of  Crawley  and  substituted  Wallace,  for  father's 
sake  and  to  preserve  the  name.  This  brother  named  his 
eldest  son  Wallace,  for  father. 

Father  built  a  section  to  the  end  of  the  old  barn  to  get 
more  room  for  storage  of  hay,  for  the  farm  was  steadily 
improving.  We  were  fond  of  shingling,  partly  because 
of  its  airy  position. 

Once  he  asked  me  to  climb  and  nail  a  brace  out  on  the 
end  and  near  the  gable.  I  recollect  saying,  "I  can't  hold 
on  there."  But  he  said,  "I  think  you  can,  for  I  will  hold 
the  rafters."  My  feelings  were  wrought  in  the  attempt, 
but  I  felt  father  would  not  ask  me  to  do  what  I  could  not 
do,  and  with  hammer  in  hand  I  climbed  to  the  place,  while 
he  said,  "Don't  look  down,  look  up,"  and  I  drove  the  nails 
and  stayed  the  brace.  When  I  got  back  and  out  of  the 
nervy  tension,  father  said:  "I  thought  it  could  be  done." 
He  was  strong  in  calmness,  courage,  judgment  and  fore- 
sight. His  attitude  never  implied  weakness  to  us.  He 
might  not  say  much,  but  he  was  clear  and  forcible  in  his 
statements.  It  was  on  the  roof  of  this  barn  at  this  time 
I  walked  the  ridgepole  from  end  to  end,  and  grandmother 
appearing  on  their  pathway  and  seeing  me,  called  to  mother: 
"That  boy  will  be  killed,"  and  mother,  fearing  the  risk, 
asked  me  to  come  down,  and  down  I  came. 

George  was  eight  years  younger  than  I,  but  naturally 
he  had  more  nerve.  We  were  berrying,  I  think  in  the  new 
land,  when  we  came  across  a  hornet's  nest  on  a  bunch 
of  bush  sprouts,  which  looked  like  some  large  and  tempting 
fruit.  He  would  not  be  defied  and  beaten  by  such  tiny 
foes,  and  proceeded  to  seize  the  nest  and  the  inmates. 

152 


A  PERILOUS  WINTER  ROAD 


The  moment  he  touched  their  papery  home  the  battle 
began,  and  out  came  the  winged  soldiers  in  haste  to  inquire 
who  had  the  temerity  to  attack  their  castle.  One  after 
another  pointed  to  George,  and  with  their  spears  they 
pierced  him  often.  There  is  a  time  in  the  affairs  of  boys 
which  taken  at  the  ebb  leads  to  defeat.  He  had  met  their 
relatives,  the  ground  bees,  before,  and  was  valorous  and 
won. 

Hornets'  nests  have  little  wasps, 
The  smaller  wasps  to  sting  us, 
And  smaller  wasps  have  lesser  wasps 
And  wasps  to  pierce  needles  in  us. 

We  liked  to  bridle  the  big  black  mare,  broad  and  round, 
and  standing  on  our  bare  feet  to  ride  around  the  yard, 
greatly  to  the  wonderment  of  all.  It  appealed  to  the  spec- 
tacular, but  there  are  times  when  courage  trembles  on  the 
brink. 

On  one  of  the  frostiest  winter  mornings  of  my  life,  I 
went  to  the  lake,  three  miles  distant,  with  two  yoke  of  oxen, 
and  a  horse  as  leader.  The  morning  was  calm,  and  soon 
the  sun  rose  in  brightness.  The  crackle  of  the  team  on 
the  frosty  snow  could  be  heard  afar,  and  all  animals  of  the 
wood  fled  long  before  our  approach.  The  road  was  broken, 
for  it  was  only  the  day  before,  when  nearing  the  shore  of 
the  lake  with  the  loaded  sleds,  that  the  ice  gave  way,  but 
the  team  drew  the  load  on  to  the  land.  When  I  reached 
the  lake  that  morning  I  went  forward  to  the  horse  and 
guided  him,  as  I  thought,  safely  out  and  around  the  broken 
ice.  But  turning  my  back  to  him  and  going  towards  the 
oxen,  the  second  pair  pulled  back  and  swung  the  horse 
into  the  lake  before  I  saw  what  was  happening.  Here  I 
was,  a  boy  alone  and  a  full  mile  from  a  house.  I  tried 
every  method  I  could  devise,  even  with  the  oxen  trying  to 

x53 


HOME-MAKING  AND  ITS  PHILOSOPHY 


haul  him  out  by  the  harness  and  whiffletree  behind,  but 
with  no  one  to  drive  the  oxen  it  was  a  hopeless  task.  The 
feeling  crept  over  me  that  it  could  not  be  done,  and  poor 
Tom  would  perish  in  the  lake.  In  sheer  desperation,  with 
ropes  I  lashed  Tom's  head  to  a  tree,  and  throwing  both 
coats  off  I  ran  to  George  Parker's,  and  he  jumped  on  his 
horse  and  together  we  reached  the  lake  and  were  glad  to 
find  Tom's  head  still  above  water.  Quickly  as  I  write 
we  had  the  oxen  drawing  brave  Tom  to  land,  where  we 
rubbed  him  a  moment  and  blanketed  him  and  started  him 
for  the  barn,  where  more  blankets  and  warm  drinks  and 
rubbing  were  applied,  and  all  our  anxiety  was  over. 

How  thankful  I  was  I  never  can  tell.  We  saved  poor 
Tom,  who  had  the  closest  shave  of  his  life.  "A  friend  in 
need  is  a  friend  indeed."  I  went  across  the  lake  with 
the  oxen  and  returned  with  a  load  of  poles  without  a  mis- 
hap; and  arriving  at  Mr.  Parker's  barn  Tom  was  given 
his  place  in  the  team  and  we  were  off  for  home.  We  would 
not  give  up  while  there  was  anything  to  hold  to.  Father 
left  us  a  sound  inheritance  in  nervy  fiber  to  "hold  on." 

We  were  robust,  had  good  health,  and  loved  the  frosty 
air.  In  the  spring  our  blood  was  cleansed,  they  said,  by 
a  drink  made  from  ground  hemlock  steeped  in  a  boiler, 
and  this  drink  was  graded  according  to  the  age  and  capacity 
of  the  children.  The  boys  were  sent  for  the  creeping  hem- 
lock. I  gathered  few  as  possible  and  sometimes  the  supply 
of  drink  ran  out,  but  none  of  the  children  ever  complained 
of  a  shortage. 

Some  people  gave  their  children  sulphur  and  molasses  daily 
To  prevent  or  cure  them  from  getting  aily 

But  O  Spring,  we  were  limited  to  bitter  hemlock  or  herbal  pills. 

The  sleigh  drives,  with  jingling  bells,  to  divisions, 
lodges,  soirees  or  lectures,  at  the  Old  Debating  Hall,  return 

154 


A  PERILOUS  WINTER  ROAD 


musically  as  we  dwell  on  them.  These  were  a  sort  of 
family  and  community  drive  with  young  folk,  by  moonlight 
over  snowv  roads  or  often  over  icy  slidings,  accompanied 
by  overturnings  into  the  snow,  but  always  with  laughter 
at  some  one's  ridiculous  expense.  The  driver  held  the 
reins,  even  though  standing  on  his  head  in  a  snowbank. 
'Twas  here  we  formed  Hopeful  Lodge  in  1S6S,  and  most 
of  the  voung  people  from  the  Dean's  to  Higgins  Settlement, 
a  distance  of  ten  miles,  attended  and  filled  the  hall  to  over- 
flowing with  debates,  orations,  dialogues  and  laughter  to 
a  merrv  going  home  at  eleven  o'clock  at  night. 

J    o        o  o 

Then  in  the  district  schoolhouse  were  the  regular  school 
meetings,  lectures,  sermons,  Catechism  and  singing  classes, 
to  which  we  walked.  Our  parents  early  taught  us  to  train 
our  memories,  and  recitations  and  dialogues  were  in  great 
demand  in  the  temperance  societies  of  which  all  were  work- 
ing members,  and  literally  hundreds  of  these  by  the  boys 
and  girls  can  be  recalled  to-dav  with  the  least  effort.  The 
girls  were  excellent  readers  and  had  good  memories.  George 

O  CO 

in  the  "Rival  Orators"  or  " Yankee  Boast,"  orations  of 
Edmund  Burke,  the  ''  Cotter's  Saturday  Xight. "  Edward 
Everett  on  ''Common  Schools  ";  Arthur  in  "Land  Ahead," 
the  "Landing  of  Columbus,"  "Miles  Standish,"  "Tasso 
in  Prison,"  or  "Enoch  Arden";  orations  and  poems  of 
Joseph  Howe,  with  many  others,  appealed  to  us  as  in- 
structive and  rational.  These  furnished  entertainment  and 
were  a  source  of  enjoyment,  laughter  and  tears.  Our  par- 
ents paved  the  way,  and  it  was  pleasant  for  us  to  follow. 
Father  loved  debate,  but  not  controversy. 

The  octavo  volume  of  the  life  of  Mary  Lyon  was  one  of 
the  household  treasures.    Her  noble  life  and  high  ideals 

o 

had  a  permanent  setting  in  our  home  as  a  pattern  for  the 
girls.    Our  parents  set  great  store  by  her  teaching,  the 


HOME-MAKING  AND  ITS  PHILOSOPHY 


leading  principle  of  which  was  that  the  middle  classes 
contain  the  mainsprings  and  main  wheels  which  are  to 
run  the  world,  or  that  pure  ideals  based  upon  realities 
should  be  given  their  rightful  setting  and  the  largest  place 
in  the  standards  of  life.  Our  parents  felt  that  farm  beauty 
and  its  scenic  setting  were  made  more  to  feast  the  souls 
with  the  sense  of  innate  goodness  than  even  to  feed  the 
body;  and  their  efforts  to  retain  this  balance  were  never 
relaxed.  Mary  Lyon  had  a  passion  for  knowledge,  she 
was  a  beautiful  reciter,  and  it  must  have  been  her  am- 
bitious purposes  put  steadily  before  our  sisters  which  made 
them  all  excellent  readers  and  good  reciters.  Mt.  Holyoke 
was  opened  to  pupils  the  year  Queen  Victoria  ascended 
the  British  Throne.  This  type  of  womanhood  was  steadily 
maintained  in  our  home,  and  the  name  of  Mary  Lyon 
was  familiar  as  long  ago  as  I  remember.  Miss  Lyon  said, 
"Let  us  have  living  minds  to  work  on.  My  soul  is  pained 
by  the  empty  gentility  around  me,  which  often  means 
genteel  nothingness/'  While  the  building  wTas  going  up 
she  said,  "The  stones  and  bricks  and  mortar  speak  a  lan- 
guage that  vibrates  through  my  very  soul."  It  was  thoughts 
like  these  breathed  into  the  atmosphere  of  home  that  the 
boys  and  girls  absorbed  hour  by  hour,  and  fibered  rosy  lives. 

Father  had  three  brothers,  Daniel,  James  and  John, 
good  farmers,  who  lived  within  ten  miles;  also  three  married 
sisters,  Rachel,  Margaret  and  Grizzel.  Exchange  of  visits 
was  expected  twice  a  year,  or  as  often  as  convenient. 
There  was  a  sort  of  a  week-end  preparation  for  these  friends 
and  the  children  they  brought  with  them.  If  it  was  in 
December  they  were  taken  to  the  cosy  fireside  and  warmed, 
when  the  flow  of  good  cheer  was  given  in  its  largeness. 
The  boys  led  the  horses  to  the  stables  and  they  got  the  best 
feeding  to  be  had. 

i56 


A  PERILOUS  WINTER  ROAD 


Our  families  were  all  rather  slow  talkers,  except  Uncle 
James,  who  led  the  band  in  fluent  speech.  Of  course,  all 
the  families  did  not  come  at  once,  else  I  would  not  have 
been  able  to  write  this  narrative.  If  they  came  in  June, 
the  parlor  and  the  garden,  the  fields  and  growing  crops, 
were  examined  and  expatiated  upon  in  a  discursive  way. 
Uncle  Danny  was  the  children's  favorite,  because  he  was 
full  and  running  over  with  good  stories,  and  he  could  tell 
them  all  so  well  and  laugh  so  heartily  at  them  with  us.  We 
loved  a  joke  and  so  did  they  all,  and  it  was  midnight  or 
long  after  before  they  could  prevail  on  themselves  to  stop 
until  another  day.  We  children  would  wonder  how  they 
knew  so  much,  and  would  drop  to  sleep  in  our  chairs  while 
they  talked.  But  it  was  that  whole-hearted  social  family 
life  and  the  sense  of  the  goodness  of  God  that  was  so  deeply 
ingrained,  that  made  us  often  feel  we  would  like  to  be  like 
them.  This  had  no  little  to  do  with  framing  our  ideas 
of  Heaven — a  place  that  was  pleasant,  cheerful  and  good. 
Our  grandparents  had  their  children  and  grandchildren 
at  home  again,  and  they  grew  young,  if  only  for  a  day. 

Great  good  grew  out  of  these  visits  to  us.  The  family 
ties  were  strengthened,  the  virtues  were  ennobled  in  the 
children's  eyes,  life  was  broadened,  and  hospitalities  gen- 
erously poured  out  to  all. 

Aunt  Rachel  was  the  Dorcas  of  this  large  family,  who 
with  an  open  hand  dispensed  her  gifts.  She  seemed  to  us 
children  to  know  all  the  men  and  women  of  the  Old  Testa- 
ment, too,  and  would  winnow  out  the  bad  from  the  good  in  a 
twinkling  by  their  acts  and  apply  these  forceful  lessons 
to  some  of  us  without  mercy.  These  included  Abimelech, 
Jephthah,  Jotham,  Mephibosheth,  Abner,  David,  Jonathan, 
Solomon,  Absalom.  She  usually  stayed  a  week  on  these 
visits.    Her  coming  was  epochal  to  me.    She  was  ever 

157 


HOME-MAKING  AND  ITS  PHILOSOPHY 


the  good  friend  of  "God's  poor — the  devil's  poor  and  even 
poor  devils,"  Their  gratitude  was  sweet  incense  and 
fragrant  to  this  day  in  the  memories  of  many.  In  1861 
she  visited  her  brother  George  at  Portland,  Maine,  and 
there  presented  him  with  a  large  family  Bible  in  which 
she  wrote  the  chronology  of  her  father's  family.  This 
book  I  saw  in  1910  at  his  son  Henry's  in  Brockton,  Mass. 
Their  brother  William,  an  M.D.,  was  endowed  with  splendid 
abilities.  He  was  not  only  brilliant  but  ambitious,  and 
promised  a  life  of  wide  usefulness.  After  obtaining  his 
degree  at  Harvard  he  was  seized  with  hemorrhage  of  the 
lungs.  His  bed  was  placed  in  grandmother's  parlor,  which 
was  more  airy,  and  Anna  Green  assisted  in  waiting  on 
him.  He  died  the  twenty-ninth  of  January,  1853,  lamented 
by  a  very  large  circle  of  relatives  and  neighbors.  My 
sister  Harriet  and  I  took  lessons  from  him  in  the  winter 
of  1852,  a  period  when  the  public  schools  were  vacant. 
He  was  a  most  exacting  teacher.  I  was  named  William 
for  Uncle  William,  "The  Doctor." 


CHAPTER  XXIII 


THE  VILLAGE  CHURCH  IN  STEWIACKE 

THE  Baptist  Church  stood  in  Stewiacke  Village,  seven 
miles  distant  and  over  a  mountain's  back.  It  took 
one  and  a  half  hours  or  more  to  drive  there  with 
horses  farming  all  the  week.  They  were  careful  drivers. 
Grandfather  drove  Black  Bess  in  a  two-wheeled  chaise  or 
"shay."  The  body  hung  on  leathers,  and  very  easy  it  was 
to  ride  in,  though  it  had  the  horse  motion.  It  was  some- 
what in  appearance  like  the  "calaches"  of  Quebec  but  the 
seat  was  not  so  high.  Father's  was  a  two-wheeled  fly,  and 
later  he  had  a  four-wheeled  wagon,  double  seated.  The  duty 
of  going  over  the  mountain  was  to  serve  the  purpose  of  the 
church  where  they  were  members,  and  this  it  was  held  should 
be  done  regularly  to  form  a  habit  in  their  children. 

A  few  clouds,  or  a  hot  day,  the  winter's  cold,  or  the  poor 
condition  of  wheeling  or  sleighing  would  not  prevent  their 
going  and  leaving  home  early  to  arrive  in  time.  The  ar- 
rangements were  usually  made  on  a  Saturday  evening,  and 
though  we  were  all  tired  at  the  end  of  the  week  this  change 
brought  the  needed  rest.  They  reasoned  that  we  needed 
the  church  every  Sabbath  to  help  us  through  the  week. 
The  church  needed  and  expected  us,  because  our  member- 
ship was  with  them,  and  it  was  not  right  to  disappoint  good 
people  when  it  could  be  avoided. 

We  had  our  wraps  and  umbrellas  with  us  in  sunshine 
or  rain,  and  if  we  did  not  get  home  until  sunset  and  had  to 
gather  the  cows  and  milk,  there  was  a  short  cut  from  the 
top  of  the  mountain  on  this  side;  and  doffing  our  good  shoes 
and  socks  into  the  fly,  we  went  down  the  hill,  cutting  off 
half  the  distance,  and  were  behind  the  cows  in  a  few  minutes. 
Putting  on  our  milking  " overs'*  we  had  the  cows  well  nigh 

*59 


HOME-MAKING  AND  ITS  PHILOSOPHY 


milked  before  the  old  folks  had  their  horses  unharnessed 
and  the  wheels  run  in  and  the  carriage  house  closed  for  the 
night. 

The  morning  service  began  at  eleven,  and  the  afternoon 
service  at  four  o'clock.  This  church  was  composed  of  a 
band  of  industrious  and  prosperous  brethren  and  sisters. 
Although  fifty  years  are  gone,  the  memories  of  those  uplifting 
influences  are  still  vivid. 

To  these  Christian  people  we  would  justly  pay  a  loving 
tribute.  In  doing  this  we  would  remember  uncle's  and 
father's  families,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Studley  Horton  and  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Edward  McCabe.  There  were  Charles  Cox, 
Jacob  Layton,  Noah  Bentley,  Ephraim  Newcomb,  Abram 
Newcomb,  Richard  Upham,  James  Cox,  William  Cox, 
Abram  Cox,  Charles  Johnson,  and  our  uncles.  A  nation 
composed  of  such  men  as  these  would  usher  in  an  ideal  great- 
ness the  world  has  not  yet  seen,  but  I  believe  is  destined  to 
see.  Later  the  Rev.  Obed  Chute,  home  missionary  among 
the  French  people  of  Nova  Scotia,  with  his  esteemed  lady, 
once  the  belle  of  the  village,  settled  here  in  his  later  age 
as  pastor.  After  the  morning  service,  these  people  vied  with 
each  other  in  welcoming  all  from  a  distance,  with  invitations 
to  dinner,  until  the  last  leaf  in  their  extension  tables  or  two 
tables  end  to  end  were  preempted  to  this  use,  and  the  ex- 
tent of  their  hospitality  grew  year  by  year  without  measure. 
But  it  was  the  Christian  virtues,  converse  and  knowledge 
that  live  the  longest.  If  an  unexpected  minister  came  to 
preach  in  the  church  they  would  sometimes  send  a  messenger 
over  to  let  us  know.  We  recall  Uncle  Daniel  sending  his 
son  Dimmock  ten  miles  one  Saturday  evening,  and  this 
illustrates  the  prevailing  spirit;  it  was  a  kind  of  kindness 
that  was  felt,  and  a  generosity  never  misplaced.  The  little 
church  and  cemetery  are  very  dear  to  us  still,  and  will  al- 

160 


THE  VILLAGE  CHURCH  IN  STEWIACKE 


ways  be,  we  trust,  to  our  children's  children  for  our  sakes. 

During  the  Rev.  Obed  Chute's  pastorate  of  the  Baptist 
Church  in  the  rich  and  fertile  Stewiacke  Valley  he  came 
with  Mrs.  Chute  to  make  us  a  pastoral  visit,  and  all  the 
children  liked  to  have  them  come.  His  judicial  manner 
was  to  look  up  at  the  overarching  trees  beautifully  shading 
the  walk  as  he  stepped  leisurely  toward  the  house,  and  to 
stand  in  their  cooling  shade  and  look  outward  over  the  rich 
green  fields.  We  boys  felt  his  interest  in  the  situation 
without  the  spoken  words.  Perhaps  he  would  quote  a 
couplet  from  Campbell's  "Pleasures  of  Memory,"  and  the 
author's  beautiful  trees  and  grounds  at  Newington-Green 
in  old  England.  He  was  accustomed  to  speak  of  the  beau- 
ties of  nature  slowly,  and  we  drew  nearer  to  him,  such  was 
his  power.  We  could  not  talk  about  these  things,  but  we 
could  listen  eagerly.  As  I  recall  the  conversations,  Rogers 
was  a  favorite  and  also  Leigh  Hunt,  and  so  he  touched  his 
loves  to  suit  the  boys  in  those  growing  times,  and  the  drop- 
pings of  the  names  of  poets  we  did  not  know,  and  a  thought 
or  two  from  each  one  to  associate  it  with  the  name,  are  re- 
membered still  in  an  appreciative  way.  Goldsmith  was 
another,  for  he  knew  we  had  "The  Deserted  Village"  in 
our  readers,  and  we  showed  a  longing  to  know  more  from 
one  who  was  so  careful  to  give  exactly  the  finer  shades  of 
meaning  in  his  interpretations  to  our  opening  minds.  From 
Spenser  came  the  following  couplet: 

The  poet  who  on  earth  has  made  us  heirs 
Of  truth  and  pure  delight  by  heavenly  lays. 

We  know  he  was  much  in  company  with  Milton  too: 

I  know  each  lane  and  every  valley  green, 
Dingle  or  bushy  dell  of  this  wild  wood; 

And  every  bosky  bourne  from  side  to  side 
My  daily  walk,  and  ancient  neighborhood. 

161 


HOME-MAKING  AND  ITS  PHILOSOPHY 


I  remember  his  reference  to  Pope: 

Know  all  the  toil  the  heavy  world  can  heap 
Rolls  o'er  my  grotto,  nor  disturbs  my  sleep. 

From  Gray  rolled  gently  the  notes: 

While  visions  as  poetic  eyes  avow, 

Cling  to  each  leaf  and  swarm  on  every  bough. 

Keats,  too,  was  his: 

Who  sparkled,  was  exhaled,  and  went  to  heaven. 

Fade  far  away,  dissolve  and  quite  forget, 
What  thou  among  the  leaves  hast  never  known, 
The  weariness,  the  fever,  and  the  fret. 

And  before  this  poet  died  "  said  he  felt  the  daisies  growing 
over  him/' 

Shelley  was  his  friend: 

Thoughts  of  great  deeds  were  mine,  dear  friend,  when  first 
The  clouds  that  wrapt  this  world  from  youth  did  pass. 
From  the  near  schoolroom  voices  that  alas! 

In  our  memories  are  these  various  poets  and  their 
thoughts  and  visits  at  different  seasons  were  lodged  with  us 
in  a  manner  that  is  fragrant  still,  and  left  a  sense  of  God's 
nobleman  behind.  We  also  think  of  Dryden,  Thompson, 
Mrs.  Tighe,  Cowper,  Southey,  Montgomery,  Wordsworth, 
and  Mrs.  Hemans. 

Dust  to  its  narrow  house  beneath, 

Soul  to  its  place  on  high. 
They  that  see  thy  look  in  death, 

No  more  will  fear  to  die. 


162 


THE  MARCH  OF  PROGRESS 
Excuse  me,  but  would  you  mind  moving  a  little  to  one  si 
We've  got  to  put  a  railroad  through  here."  This 
is  the  last  of  many  surveys  up  the 
beautiful  Musquodoboit. 


CHAPTER  XXIV 


INFLUENCE  OF  ROADS  AND  WEATHER 

WHEN  roads  or  weather  prevented  going  to  our  own 
church  we  attended  the  Presbyterian  Church,  on  a 
level  road  two  and  a  half  miles  distant,  where  the 
Rev.  Robert  Sedgewick,  D.D.,  was  minister.  He  was  lead- 
ing educationist;  a  large-hearted  man,  and  his  sympathies 
embraced  the  whole  population  in  the  valley  of  his  two  large 
congregations.  The  children  thought  his  sermons  a  trifle 
long  and  tedious,  but  no  matter — grandma  carried  a  bottle 
of  smelling  salts  and  if  during  the  first  or  second  sermon, 
with  fifteen  minutes'  intermission,  we  nodded  our  heads  or 
fell  asleep  (as  some  of  the  deacons  did,  for  I  saw  them) 
she  would  slip  the  bottle  under  our  noses,  and  we  suddenly 
remembered  the  text  and  the  preacher. 

At  the  intermission  there  was  always  a  cake  or  bun  to 
be  eaten  on  the  church  green,  or  if  raining,  in  the  church  or 
at  the  horse  sheds.  All  brought  refreshments,  and  many 
indulged  in  a  nap  under  the  veil  of  closed  eyelids.  Uncle 
Johnny  Dechman  was  precentor  from  our  earliest  memory, 
and  the  wave  of  his  hands  keeping  time  and  his  leading 
voice  made  good  congregational  music. 

Children  are  hard  to  please  when  weary  and  tired,  as 
they  and  their  mothers  must  have  been,  but  with  prospects 
of  supper  the  horses  drove  home  in  good  time.  The  people 
grew  in  Bible  knowledge  and  spiritual  wisdom  under  Dr. 
Sedgewick's  long  pastorate.  He  was  very  influential  as 
a  catechist  throughout  the  valley,  and  his  work  and  spirit 
are  living  long  after  him.  After  his  great  and  eloquent 
lecture  on  "Antagonisms  of  the  Nineteenth  Century,"  1866, 
in  Poplar  Grove  Church,  Halifax,  he  received  the  sobriquet 
of  "the  old  man  eloquent/'    The  next  day  as  he  was  re- 

163 


HOME-MAKING  AND  ITS  PHILOSOPHY 


turning  home  I  was  also  on  the  train.  I  went  forward  to 
his  seat  and  after  a  few  words  of  his  which  I  cherish,  I  said, 
"Dr.  Sedgewick,  I  remember  some  of  the  things  you  have 
taught  us  in  your  Bible  class  and  from  the  pulpit,  and  they 
have  done  me  good."  He  leaned  back  his  head  on  the  seat, 
and  said  in  his  own  manner,  "Hm — hm — hm."  I  have 
always  been  glad  I  had  it  in  my  heart  to  go  to  him  that  day. 

Dr.  William  Pearson  was  our  resident  physician.  He 
was  a  gentleman  of  English  birth,  and  highly  esteemed  by 
those  who  knew  him  best.  His  gentlemanly  dignity  and 
courteous  bearing  appealed  strongly  to  our  family.  Any 
man  who  was  able  to  rise  above  trifling  prejudice  and  look 
forward  generously  rose  in  our  esteem.  It  was  a  year 
or  more  after  his  coming  to  the  place  before  he  had  a  pro- 
fessional call  to  our  house.  He  had  a  fine  figure  on  horse- 
back, and  his  horse  had  his  personal  training  in  step  and 
gait.  This  fine  exercise  was  passing  away  when  he  came 
to  the  place,  but  it  remained  for  a  few  years  longer. 

In  i860  the  Prince  of  Wales,  now  our  good  King  Edward 
VII,  visited  Halifax,  and  father,  wishing  upon  the  advice 
of  Dr.  Pearson  to  consult  with  the  Hon.  D.  A.  McNeil 
Parker,  M.D.M.L.C.,  chose  this  occasion  to  go  to  Halifax, 
taking  with  him  his  eldest  daughter,  Harriet.  They  saw 
the  Prince  and  the  throngs  of  people.  On  their  return 
they  had  much  to  say  of  his  pleasing  appearance  and  the 
address  the  city  presented,  and  his  reply.  These  were  re- 
hearsed with  minuteness  to  us  and  aroused  patriotic  inter- 
est. They  brought  a  picture  of  the  Prince,  which  was 
framed  and  hung  in  the  room.  Every  child  felt  we  had 
the  greatest  Royal  Family  in  the  world,  and  that  our  Queen 
was  the  peer  of  them  all.  We  cannot  fully  express  how 
deeply  these  events  kindled  the  patriotic  fires  in  the  chil- 
dren's  breasts.    Our   parents   talked   to   us  interestingly 

164 


INFLUENCE  OF  ROADS  AND  WEATHER 


of  Prince  Albert  and  Queen  Victoria  and  their  family.  It 
was  from  grandfather  we  often  heard  of  some  foreign  poten- 
tate visiting  England  for  the  first  time,  and  his  asking  our 
Queen  to  tell  him  "the  secret  of  England's  greatness. " 
She,  turning  to  a  large  family  Bible,  "This,  sir,  is  the  secret.,, 
We  children  must  have  heard  that  story  for  the  hundredth 
time,  and  we  believed  it,  too,  as  we  do  now.  As  babies 
we  were  nourished  by  this  kind  of  food,  and  our  daily  growth 
was  breath-waves  of  fealty  and  fidelity  to  home,  to  our 
Royal  Family,  and  native  land,  allegiance  to  rulers,  obe- 
dience to  persons  in  authority,  with  growing  sentiments  for 
good  laws  administered  with  justice,  and  personal  freedom 
in  daily  life.  Father  grew  slowly  into  the  knowledge  that 
whatever  was  weak  or  unjust  in  the  British  Constitution 
or  laws  used  as  precedents,  was  easily  eliminated  or  changed 
to  meet  a  growing  people,  or  as  the  moral  conscience  of 
the  nation  demanded. 

During  the  Crimean  War  in  1854  the  tardy  news  of 
battle  was  longed  for.  When  victory  came  to  the  allied 
powers,  Britain's  supremacy  was  acknowledged.  Father 
brought  from  Halifax  the  history  of  this  war  and  read  it 
aloud  to  us.  I  know  the  older  boys,  especially,  listened 
with  almost  breathless  interest  to  the  description  of  the 
battles  of  Inkerman,  Balaklava,  Alma,  Sebastopol  and  the 
charge  of  the  noble  Six  Hundred. 

These  recitals  were  vivid  and  filled  us  with  glowing 
feelings  and  pride  for  the  mother  country.  That  pride  is 
at  this  hour  rooted  deeper  and  broader  in  our  natures  and 
race  than  ever  before  in  our  Empire's  history.  I  suppose 
we  naturally  loved  war,  but  were  taught  peace  and  believe 
in  peace  with  at  least  a  fair  amount  of  justice. 

Parents  weave  the  warp  and  woof  of  the  character  of 
their  children  by  feeding  their  bodies,  minds,  hearts  and 

165 


HOME-MAKING  AND  ITS  PHILOSOPHY 


souls  with  wholesome  foods.  Much  of  this  growing  fiber 
lies  deeper  than  bodily  enjoyments.  Father  did  not  seek 
preference  for  himself  but  for  his  family  and  home.  The 
weakest  member  of  the  family  must  have  equal  rights  and 
equal  opportunities  with  all.  He  chose  farming  because 
of  natural  inclination  and  training.  There  was  no  part  of 
the  farm  but  was  improved  in  appearance,  beauty,  and 
productiveness.  He  felt  the  important  place  the  farmer 
holds  as  the  moral  standard  and  supporter  of  the  people, 
not  only  to  supply  them  with  bread,  but  with  young  men 
and  women  of  character  to  replenish  the  cities. 

Father  did  not  draw  away  from  his  neighbors,  but  was 
one  who  thought  and  felt  for  them.  He  saw  clearly  through 
the  toils  and  turmoils  to  satisfying  rewards.  He  wore  the 
white  flower  of  a  blameless  life  among  his  fellow  men, 
calmly  and  quietly  doing  his  work  to  the  very  end.  He 
saw  his  place  and  felt  God's  guiding  hand  towards  the 
brotherhood  of  humanity. 

The  family  home  determines  for  each  of  us  what  we  are 
to  be,  without  doubt  or  question.  Father  was  a  praying 
man  and  the  aspirations  of  his  life  were  expressed  in  prayer. 
We  felt  them,  if  we  did  not  hear  them.  We  judge  this  by 
his  impress  on  our  lives  and  the  holding  power  it  has  to-day. 
He  saw  in  us  the  deeply  rooted  sin  leading  us  away  from 
God,  and  by  prayer  and  teaching  strove  to  bring  us  back. 

Doctor  Parker's  examination  proved  what  he  had  been 
suspecting,  that  he  could  not  reasonably  expect  to  live  a 
great  while  longer.  His  repeated  injuries  had  developed 
an  abscess,  which  was  fast  wasting  his  strength.  He  did 
not  alarm  us  but  began  to  adjust  his  business.  Our  Uncle 
Daniel  and  Uncle  George  each  held  the  office  of  Justice  of 
the  Peace,  and  they  both  were  asked  and  came  early  in 
November,  and  affairs  were  settled. 

1 66 


INFLUENCE  OF  ROADS  AND  WEATHER 


One  day  I  was  riding  Doctor  (a  young  horse)  homeward 
on  the  public  road,  and  having  no  bridle  he  was  in  for  a 
frolic.  With  my  right  hand  I  slapped  him  to  the  left,  but 
he  was  in  for  a  run  with  flying  heels  and  I  was  thrown  on 
to  the  fence  to  the  left.  I'll  never  forget  it;  it  was  a  good 
shaking  up  I  got,  but  I  was  not  much  hurt. 


167 


CHAPTER  XXV 


WE  ARE  BENEFACTORS  OF  THE  RACE 

ANY  one  who  comes  in  contact  with  the  fertile  soil 
ought  to  be  held  as  a  special  benefactor  of  mankind. 
To  cultivate  soil  well  is  to  get  our  bodies  engaged 
in  the  work  where  they  will  bear  testimony  to  the  power  of 
the  Creator.  Nature  sings  her  finest  songs  to  those  who 
love  her  most.  The  keenness  of  our  vision  depends  on 
what  we  feel,  rather  than  what  we  see.  The  homes  of  a 
people  measure  the  strength  of  a  nation.  Father  acted  as 
a  Christian.  He  must  have  had  deep  conceptions  to  keep 
his  spiritual  manhood  and  happiness  so  well  preserved. 
Christ  means  us  to  be  what  we  mean  to  others.  The  soul- 
search  and  pearling  for  convincing  truth  seems  to  be  found 
only  by  the  few,  when  in  reality  it  exists  in  abundant  volume 
for  all  mankind.  These  unseen  treasures  of  the  higher 
life  flow  into  the  will  surrendered  to  Jesus,  the  only  Son  of 
God.  We  may  experience  this  fact  as  surely  as  our  exist- 
ence. It  was  tested  day  by  day  and  year  by  year  in  our 
parents'  hearts  and  souls  and  minds  to  the  hour  of  death. 
"Thy  rod  and  thy  staff  they  comfort  me." 

The  writer  has  for  some  time  felt  it  to  be  his  duty  to  write 
these  thoughts  and  convictions.  A  year  ago  no  thought 
of  mine  prompted  this  writing,  but  now  it  has  become  a 
duty  and  labor  of  love. 

Our  Aunt  Sarah,  mother's  youngest  sister,  came  to  visit 
us  and  we  all  loved  her.  She  was  very  gentle,  conscientious 
and  studious.  Her  kind,  gentle  ways  won  us,  and  we  felt 
her  influence  very  quickly  upon  our  conduct.  A  winning 
look  was  enough  to  check  or  encourage. 

We  had  a  good  public  school  and  she  desired  to  attend 
our  school  and  qualify  for  teacher.    She  seemed  to  see  the 

168 


WE  ARE  BENEFACTORS  OF  THE  RACE 


true  side  of  everything.  Even  the  stones  and  thistles  on 
the  wayside  had  their  uses,  and  she  told  us  of  them  and 
invested  them  with  a  new  and  peculiar  mission.  She  was 
not  only  entertaining,  but  in  an  interesting  manner  helped 
our  minds  to  reason.  She  proved  to  us  that  in  goodness 
itself  there  was  just  as  much  to  interest  young  people  as 
there  was  in  wrong.  She  afterwards  taught  at  St.  Andrews, 
and  I  had  the  pleasure  of  driving  her  there  several  times. 
Her  pupils  almost  worshiped  her,  as  I  witnessed  on  our 
arrival.  After  this  she  attended  the  first  session  of  the  Normal 
School,  established  in  the  autumn  of  1855,  under  the  prin- 
cipalship  of  the  late  Doctor  Forrester.  Close  study  de- 
veloped lung  affection,  and  about  the  last  of  March  I  was 
sent  with  the  horse  and  sleigh  to  bring  Aunt  Sarah  home. 

Truro,  March  31,  1856:  I  hereby  certify  that  Miss  Sarah  Richardson 
attended  the  Provincial  Normal  School  during  the  session  of  1855-1856,. 
that  she  conducted  herself  with  the  utmost  propriety,  and  prepared  with 
diligence  and  approbation  the  various  lessons  and  exercises  prescribed. 

Miss  Richardson  was  laid  aside  by  sickness  and  unable  to  attend 
the  school  for  many  weeks  before  its  close,  otherwise  she  stood  a  fair 
chance  for  obtaining  a  second-class  diploma;  and  I  have  little  hesitation 
in  saving  that  had  her  health  and  other  circumstances  admitted  of  her 
attending  another  session  she  would  in  all  probability  have  won  the  highest 
honors  of  the  institution. — Alexander  Forrester,  Principal. 

She  kept  growing  weaker,  and  near  the  middle  of  March 
I  was  sent  sixty  miles  to  bring  her  beloved  brother  George 
to  our  home.  I  bore  a  letter  to  him.  He  came  with  me 
and  remained  with  us  two  or  three  days,  and  I  drove  him 
back  to  his  school.  The  oldest  of  the  children  were  young 
then.  She  died  in  April,  1856,  leaving  with  us  memories 
of  a  truly  beautiful  life.  Our  sister  Sarah  was  named  for 
her  and,  singular  to  say,  resembles  her  in  appearance  and 
manner  and  thoughtful  disposition.  All  of  us  that  remem- 
ber Aunt  Sarah  think  the  same. 

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HOME-MAKING  AND  ITS  PHILOSOPHY 


Father  was  one  of  the  small  band  of  brothers  remaining 
to  give  Acadia  College  one  hundred  pounds  sterling  (five 
hundred  dollars)  to  purchase  the  "Archibald  Scholarship." 
He  paid  interest  on  his  part,  one  hundred  dollars,  for  a 
time.  Our  people  were  true  and  loyal  friends  of  Acadia. 
Grandfather  Archibald  was  born  a  Presbyterian,  and 
grandmother's  antecedents  were  Presbyterians  in  Edin- 
burgh, but  some  time  after  their  marriage  and  settling  on 
the  farm  they  joined  the  Baptists.  All  the  Archibalds 
who  have  graduated  from  Acadia  are  grandfather's  de- 
scendants, as  is  also  Dr.  Raymond  C.  Archibald,  a  gradu- 
ate of  Mount  Allison  University  and  subsequently  Pro- 
fessor of  Mathematics  at  Acadia  University.  They  prayed 
for  Acadia  that  she  might  grow  in  usefulness  as  a  Christian 
institution,  and  as  such  she  is  known  at  home  and  abroad. 

Our  parents  had  a  very  esteemed  friend  in  the  late  Rob- 
ert Henderson,  Esq.,  of  Middle  Musquodoboit.  He  had 
in  early  life  the  misfortune  of  injuring  his  legs  so  that  he 
could  not  walk.  He  was  an  ideal  gentleman  of  the  old 
school,  self  taught  and  well  read,  far  beyond  the  average. 
The  children  remembered  his  coming  and  the  distinguished 
attention  our  parents  gave  him.  Father  and  mother  laid 
their  work  aside  and  retired  to  the  parlor.  His  scholarly 
mind  and  grasp  of  history  and  causes  of  important  move- 
ments in  the  world  made  him  an  interesting  conversa- 
tionalist. His  entertaining  discussions  were  not  only  in- 
forming but  an  inspiration  to  us,  to  fill  our  minds  with  good 
and  useful  knowledge  which  would  be  of  great  use  to  us  in 
future  years.  This  was  more  than  fifty  years  ago  and  it 
left  a  rich  aftermath  of  mental  pictures  we  esteem.  There 
is  no  value  in  silver  or  gold  or  lands  to  equal  this.  The 
coming  of  such  intelligent  people  into  the  home  is  sure  to 
do  the  children  lasting  good. 

170 


WE  ARE  BENEFACTORS  OF  THE  RACE 


To-day  it  is  games  and  frivolities  that  the  children  get 
from  December  to  May.  The  young  men  have  not  power 
of  will  or  strength  of  character,  because  these  are  neglected 
in  the  pursuit  of  amusements.  Mr.  Henderson  was  most 
industrious.  He  made  us  our  first  riding  wagon,  and  it 
was  well  made.  He  always  did  things  well.  We  were 
taught  to  study  half  an  hour  before  breakfast,  because  we 
could  then  learn  twice  as  fast  as  at  other  times.  Some- 
times the  breakfast  was  kept  waiting  five  minutes  while  we 
buzzed  away.  All  sat  down  to  table  together.  The  chil- 
dren did  not  talk  unless  they  had  something  to  say.  Father 
and  mother  talked  just  enough  to  keep  some  worthy  thought 
in  our  minds.  This  was  an  exemplary  plan.  All  rose 
from  the  table  together,  when  familv  worship  followed, 
consisting  of  singing  and  Bible  reading  in  turn,  and  father's 
reverentially  leading  in  prayer.  There  never  was  haste  in 
rising. 

Some  one  has  beautifully  pointed  out  this: 
"Our  Father  who  art  in  Heaven"  is  a  child  speaking  to 
its  father. 

"Hallowed  be  Thy  name"  is  a  worshiper  speaking  to 
his  God. 

"Thy  kingdom  come"  is  a  citizen  speaking  to  his  king. 
"Thy  will  be  done"  is  a  servant  praying  to  his  master. 
"  Forgive  us  our  debts  "  is  a  sinner  speaking  to  his  Saviour. 
"Lead  us  not  into  temptation"  is  a  pilgrim  talking  to 
his  guide. 

A  family  is  but  the  attempt  of  many 
To  rise  to  the  completer  life  of  one, 
And  they  who  live  as  models  for  the  mass, 
Are  singly  of  more  value  than  they  all. 

When  thirteen  years  of  age  I  was  sent  to  Halifax  mar- 
ket with  a  load  of  produce  for  sale,  at  a  time  when  father 

I71 


HOME-MAKING  AND  ITS  PHILOSOPHY 


was  laid  aside  from  work  with  rheumatism.  Father  had 
a  friend  in  the  clerk  of  the  market,  Mr.  Wilson,  now  of 
Waverly,  and  I  carried  a  letter  to  him  from  father,  and  was 
well  looked  after. 

It  was  at  such  times  we  paid  our  yearly  subscription 
at  the  office  of  the  Christian  Messenger.  I  distinctly  recall 
my  first  payment  to  Mr.  Stephen  Selden.  His  kindly  man- 
ner and  noble  face  greatly  impressed  me,  an  impression 
which  I  carried  home  with  the  receipt  to  father.  The  roots 
of  a  child's  wonder  and  esteem  run  back  further  than  he 
recollects.  Father's  relationship  continued  in  a  business 
way  even  with  those  who  had  wronged  him  in  little  mat- 
ters, for  he  would  not  allow  resentment  to  follow,  and  he 
invariably  won  in  the  end.  His  faith  in  God  strengthened 
his  belief  in  man,  and  he  reached  beyond  sense  for  a  cer- 
tainty. So  he  brought  into  his  life  a  certainty  out  of  the 
spiritual  into  the  natural,  which  he  proved  by  the  senses. 
His  trust  in  man  was  generous.  He  was  greater  in  our 
eyes  as  we  grew  older.  If  a  man  is  strong  in  the  founda- 
tion principles  of  true  character,  he  may  safely  be  regarded 
great.  Greatness  does  not  depend  upon  popular  approval, 
but  on  the  approval  of  a  man's  own  convictions  and  of  God. 

His  was  simplicity  without  vanity,  meekness  without 
pride,  simple  in  language  and  clear  in  meaning.  His  man- 
ner was  not  in  the  least  affected.  His  spirit  of  toleration 
was  large,  endearing  him  to  those  who  held  different  opin- 
ions. He  had  a  distaste  for  contention.  He  was  unyield- 
ing where  principles  were  involved  and  quietly  held  to 
what  his  heart  and  judgment  approved. 

It  was  in  early  youth  our  father  made  choice  of  Christ 
as  his  ideal  and  pattern,  and  he  aimed  at  going  through 
this  world  "doing  good."  Only  the  Father  above  and 
the  recording  angel  know  how  much  he  did.    From  him 

172 


WE  ARE  BENEFACTORS  OF  THE  RACE 


the  people  went  with  brighter  prospects,  more  cheerful 
spirits  and  higher  hopes.  He  had  more  of  these  to  give 
than  cash  and  I  think  the  world  needs  them  most.  He 
found  pleasure  in  helping  others.  His  little  world  was 
happier  and  better  because  he  lived  in  it.  The  deeds  of 
kindness  and  blessing  were  like  perennial  springs  and  by 
their  streams  perhaps  carried  joy  and  gladness  to  hearts 
we  know  nothing  about.  I  never  heard  a  living  person 
in  my  life  once  say  my  father  was  unkind.  But  we  say  in 
honored  memory  he  was  sympathetic,  helpful  and  great- 
hearted. These  are  our  treasures  in  memory's  casket. 
He  appreciated  to  the  fullest  extent  the  blessings  of  the 
fireside.  Here  he  lived  in  the  enjoyment  of  our  dearest 
and  nearest  of  mothers.  Our  father  was  seen  at  his  best  in 
the  companionship  of  his  own  family.  In  the  inner  shrine 
we  will  continue  to  treasure  his  rich  life. 

When  father  went  to  the  city  or  away  from  home,  mother 
led  family  worship  and  breathed  her  own  prayer  for  all. 
It  was  always  this  way.  When  father  returned  home 
from  the  city  he  always  brought  a  package  of  candy,  and 
as  he  never  forgot  it  we  learned  to  expect  it.  Whatever 
he  promised  us  was  sure.  Sometimes  he  gave  us  a  piece 
of  work  to  do  while  he  was  gone  and  tacked  a  reward  on 
at  the  finish.  We  might  play  for  awhile,  but  we  went  to 
work  with  a  will  and  finished  the  task  in  time. 

If  grandmother  wanted  an  armful  of  wood  or  a  pail  of 
water  there  was  a  lump  of  sugar  at  the  terminals.  Her 
brown  gilted  sugar  bowl  was  the  sweetest  table  ware,  and 
it  was  never  altogether  empty.  She  had  the  fondest  heart 
for  children,  and  grandfather  for  stories  that  never  gave 
out  because  he  told  them  over  and  over  again.  Grand- 
father was  fond  of  sugar,  and  when  invited  to  tea,  upon 
being  asked  if  he  took  sugar,  "A  double  portion,  my  lady," 

1 73 


HOME-MAKING  AND  ITS  PHILOSOPHY 


was  his  sweet  reply.  So  we  had  the  freedom  of  two  homes, 
and  it  was  good  for  the  children.  Good  homes  in  a  nation 
are  its  most  valuable  and  precious  possession,  and  in  the 
lack  of  them  lies  its  greatest  danger. 


174 


CHAPTER  XXVI 


THE  HILLS  AND  SPRINGS 

THERE  was  a  spring  bubbling  out  under  the  steep 
fall  of  the  Round  Hill  facing  the  south,  which 
must  have  mined  its  way  two  to  three  hundred  feet 
below  the  summit.  It  came  out  of  the  mountain  and  ran 
into  a  cavity  of  its  own  making,  which  was  ever  regarded 
as  dangerous  to  our  stock.  A  small  pond,  filled  to  the 
brim  with  black  mud  and  washes,  had  greened  over  with 
rich  grasses,  and  sometimes  animals  with  less  caution 
than  most  of  their  kind  would  walk  in  to  graze.  I  remember 
an  instance  of  this,  where  a  young  horse  sank  to  his  body 
and  was  dead  when  found,  and  the  crows  picked  his  bones. 
A  large  fir  tree  standing  on  the  edge  was  afterwards  felled 
along  the  dangerous  part,  and  no  more  animals  were  lost. 

There  were  many  springs  on  the  farm,  but  the  best 
remembered  of  them  all  lay  in  the  deep  glen  over  the  river. 
Its  banks  were  steep  and  shelving  as  an  immense  bowl 
more  than  one  hundred  feet  high.  Its  easy  entrance  was 
from  the  front  side  facing  the  house.  Its  waters  were  pure 
and  clear  as  crystal,  and  never  diminished.  Nature  had 
piped  it  through  a  limestone  bed  and  it  bubbled  up  from 
the  bottom.  Three  sides  were  in  tall  timothy,  while  a 
grove  of  beeches,  birches  and  firs,  with  a  mass  of  under- 
growth, reached  down  part  way  from  the  table-land  above. 
In  the  warmest  day  the  air  of  this  cove  was  cool  and  filled 
with  shade  and  woody  odors.  How  deeply  we  drank  of 
its  refreshing  waters,  which  never  ceased  to  flow!  No 
other  water  around  the  farm  compared  with  this.  How 
we  lingered  about  its  grassy  seats  or  stretched  full  length 
on  its  green  banks  and  drank  again  and  again  before  we 
were  willing  to  leave,  and  then  we  would  take  one  sup 

*75 


HOME-MAKING  AND  ITS  PHILOSOPHY 


more.  Here  we  were  able  to  look  into  the  zenith  for  stars 
in  the  sky  in  broad  day  and  wonder  where  they  were,  and 
do  so  with  eyes  wide  open  and  without  winking.  It  lay 
on  the  curved  way  to  the  raspberry  gardens  that  were 
always  looking  at  the  "Red  House"  and  grew  fruit  for  it. 
It  was  a  peaceful  spring,  open  summer  and  winter,  with 
a  smiling  gurgle  if  we  listened.  It  loved  all  depth,  but  no 
breadth.  It  ran  so  slowly  and  meandered  so  lovely  through 
the  very  lowest  lands  that  it  never  held  more  than  a  cubic 
foot  of  water,  until  it  was  well  willed  on  its  way. 

It  passed  through  the  stumpy  land  to  the  smooth  mead- 
ows on  the  right  with  a  steep  bank  on  the  left,  by  that 
beautiful  dry  knoll  near  the  birches,  whose  white  silky 
wrapper  ends  fluttered  in  the  breeze,  and  where  stood  the 
Indian  wigwam  at  the  beginning  of  the  eighteenth  century, 
of  which  father  told  us.  When  a  small  boy  it  was  here  I 
found  a  shovel  with  iron  handle  one  foot  long,  with  knob 
on  the  end.  We  used  the  shovel  about  the  kitchen  hearth  for 
years.  But  the  spring  brook  went  very  slowly  on,  as  if 
it  did  not  wish  to  leave  this  sequestered  spot.  It  made 
little  points  and  peninsulas  for  the  purpose  of  delay,  not 
more  than  two  feet  broad  for  us.  Even  when  little  children 
we  could  step  over  it,  not  much  more  than  a  foot  wide  but 
deep,  and  once  one  of  us  fell  in  to  more  than  summer  cool- 
ness and  a  breathless  gasp.  If  it  wanted  more  room  it 
simply  ran  over  the  grass  after  filling  above  the  brim,  and 
then  through  the  alders  and  under  the  spring  bridge.  Here 
the  birds  came  to  drink  as  well  as  we,  and  there  was  enough 
for  all  and  more.  Father  had  to  weight  the  bridge  with 
granite  boulders  to  keep  it  in  place.  In  the  freshets  the 
river  and  the  spring  would  unite  and  run  together  towards 
the  sea.  When  the  horn  blew  for  dinner  at  eleven  (good 
old  hour)  a  kettle  of  this  water  was  taken  from  the  fountain. 

176 


THE  HILLS  AND  SPRINGS 


No  wonder  the  Indians  camped  there,  and  the  haymakers 
and  the  berry  children  would  come  that  way,  and  would 
take  a  kettle  of  this  cool,  pure,  crystal  water  to  mother. 
She  always  smiled  after  a  cup  of  it,  and  we  smiled  whether 
we  drank  it  then  or  not.  Do  you  recollect  the  big  crimson 
strawberries  of  the  new  land  fields  in  July,  sweeter  than 
to-day  because  our  tongues  could  press  their  juices  easier  ? 
They  were  brought  in  pailfuls,  or  if  raspberries,  in  big 
buckets  or  baskets,  and  kept  the  berry  pies  and  puddings 
large  and  frequent,  round  and  thick  with  overflowing  juice! 

When  fog  lay  along  the  hills  and  clouds  were  sweeping 
through  the  sky,  the  boys  and  girls  made  up  a  merry  group 
of  berry  pickers,  with  Cousin  Anna,  and  away  we  went  over 
the  river,  or  in  earlier  days  on  the  Annand  farm  where 
berries  were  plentiful.  We  were  called  good  pickers  because 
we  had  the  habit  of  picking  steadily,  and  the  pails  would 
soon  fill,  which  enabled  us  to  keep  the  reputation  which 
father  and  mother  gave  us. 

We  almost  lived  on  fruit  those  delightful,  happy  years. 
Bushels  of  fruit  kept  mother  busily  preserving,  and  still 
we  daily  poured  them  in,  and  the  puddings  bigger  grew 
until  neither  we  nor  the  jars  could  hold  any  more,  except 
for  luncheon.  Occasionally  we  got  a  scare  among  the 
rocks.  A  large  snake  darted  near  and  tried  to  hiss  in  an 
undertone,  or  a  skunk  showed  up  among  the  canes,  as  busy 
as  we  and  near  our  side,  to  whom  we  gave  wide  berth, 
except  one  little  girl  who  picked  up  one  of  their  kittens 
and  took  it  home  to  learn  its  name;  or  a  harmless  raccoon 
appeared  within  our  preserves. 

The  bears  were  visitors  in  berry  time  in  the  gardens 
and  in  the  woods  above  the  mountain  dome.  But  they 
were  harmless  because  they  lived  on  fruit.  If  men  lived 
always  on  fruit  would  they  too  be  peaceful  ? 

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HOME-MAKING  AND  ITS  PHILOSOPHY 


At  the  close  of  harvesting,  the  five  or  ten  or  fifteen- 
mile  drive  for  blueberries  was  planned,  and  this  carried 
us  to  other  scenes  and  fields  of  fruit.  We  were  up  in  the 
gray  dawning,  busily  harnessing  two  horses  to  a  large, 
roomy  wagon,  with  pails  and  baskets  and  a  good  supply 
of  luncheon,  each  youngster  flitting  here  and  there  so  as 
not  to  be  left  behind.  At  last  "All  aboard''  is  sounded. 
The  seats  are  made  of  boards  and  boxes.  Some  are  looking 
towards  the  horses,  and  the  boys  towards  the  rear,  and  off 
we  go  at  a  sharp  trot,  waving  adieu  to  mother,  whom  we 
left  behind. 

Perhaps  we  chatter  all  the  way,  as  only  boys  and  girls 
will  do  who  see  so  much  in  nature  to  talk  about.  We 
cross  the  low-lying  meadows  where  the  cranberries  are 
beginning  to  redden,  and  the  big  mill  brook  with  its  dark 
gurgling  water  it  is  carrying  from  the  lake.  When  the 
blueberry  fields  are  reached  we  unharness  and  tie  the 
horses  in  the  shade  of  some  finely  branched  juniper,  and 
feed  and  blanket  them  as  is  best.  Then  the  pickers  stretch 
out  for  fresh,  unpicked  bushes  hitherto  unseen  by  others, 
and  the  whistle  calls  mean  "have  found  them."  We  pick 
away  with  little  talking  till  luncheon  time,  and  a  tired 
feeling  creeps  slowly  on.  The  fire  is  kindled,  the  kettle 
hung,  the  tea  put  on,  and  down  upon  a  cradle-hill  within 
the  shade  we  sit  to  stoop  no  more.  This  proves  to  be  just 
what  we  want,  for  children  revive  in  half  an  hour,  fresh 
as  the  larks  and  bluejays  screaming  in  these  thin  woods. 
In  the  blueberry  plains  our  dining  place  was  large  and 
green — green  as  green  could  be — but  dotted  with  soft- 
wood trees  which  yielded  no  autumnal  tints.  The  high- 
bush  blue  and  huckleberry  and  sprays  of  laurel  were  slightly 
tinting  the  wild  plantation,  while  over  all  fell  the  draperies 
of  orange-colored  light  through  which  our  camp  fire  mingled, 

i78 


THE  HILLS  AND  SPRINGS 


and  its  smoke  went  to  fellowship  with  clouds.  Near  this 
fruit  garden  was  a  blue  lake  nestled  below  a  fringe  of  trees 
that  courted  reflections  without  vanity  in  its  deep,  dark 
waters.  A  few  water  birds  rested  here  secluded,  and  only 
sounded  a  note  if  sent  upon  the  wing  as  duck  or  loon. 
Occasionally  a  caribou  or  deer  or  moose  ran  to  the  lake  to 
drink,  and  made  interesting  footprints  and  paths.  Our 
ears  and  eyes  were  tuned  to  every  call,  while  we  grew  more 
observing.  The  children's  troubles  never  sought  us  here, 
and  the  meanest  flower  that  blooms  had  a  new  story  to  tell, 
while  nature's  kindness  healed  our  bruises.  With  our 
horses  fed  again  and  watered,  with  empty  pails  we  strike 
toward  thicker  pickings. 

By  four  o'clock  we  have  gathered  a  goodly  lot,  and  we 
call  the  homeward  promenade  and  gather  in  toward  the 
wagon  to  take  account  of  the  stock  we  have,  and  how  it 
suits;  if  short  of  our  calculations  out  we  go  and  pick  for 
half  an  hour  more,  so  as  not  to  disappoint  those  who  are 
thinking  of  us  at  home. 

We  crack  the  horses  up  because  it  is  descending  ground 
for  more  than  half  the  rocky  way,  and  before  the  sun  has 
closed  his  day's  work  we  are  at  home  and  all  is  well,  with 
blueberries  for  pickles  and  blueberries  for  pies,  with  blue- 
berries for  puddings  and  blueberries  to  dry. 

The  recollections  of  these  happenings  enrich  our  lives 
with  more  than  leaves  and  fruit.  I  think  it  would  be  well 
to  live  it  all  over  again  where  all  had  a  common  interest 
as  in  the  old  home  days. 

The  flowers  of  language  grow  easily  within  the  pictures 
imprinted  in  the  long  ago,  and  our  boys  and  girls  may  find 
natural  happiness  in  welling  fullness  of  farm  life  in  modern 
times;  but  they  must  live  it  without  the  stamp  of  artificial 
life,  so  thin  and  vapory. 

J79 


HOME-MAKING  AND  ITS  PHILOSOPHY 


Dost  thou  feel  the  silt  of  thy  soul  stir  thy  tender  thoughts 
and  memories  of  years  ago  ?  In  the  early  spring  when 
the  water  roared  under  the  icy  floor  of  the  river  and  lake, 
and  the  forests  and  fields  were  yet  white  with  snow,  and 
the  turn  of  the  season  was  close  at  hand,  when  the  mountain 
sides  were  dark  and  damp  with  smoking  mists,  and  the 
rain  began  to  fall,  it  did  not  take  the  undermining  snow 
and  the  great  cakes  of  ice  that  crash  and  grind  with  sullen 
roar,  piling  themselves  across  the  lowlands  and  intervales, 
long  to  unbar  the  river  gates  and  usher  in  the  spring.  When 
the  rain  was  over  and  the  woodlands  were  steaming,  the 
spring  which  had  been  waiting  for  winter  to  go  came  along 
with  a  gush  to  finish  honeycombing  the  field  of  ice  and 
mellow  to  a  finish  the  ragged  edges  winter  liked  to  hold  so 
long.  The  balmy  breaths  which  bore  our  south  birds 
along  were  breathing  now,  and  the  sun  warmth  in 
its  blending  and  mildness  works  on  the  stranded  cakes 
and  with  warm  showers  they  disappear  in  good  time  to 
meet  the  generous  spirit  of  spring.  The  birds  begin  to 
sing  across  the  running  rills  and  rivulets,  or  a  flock  of  wild 
geese  calls  to  us  from  the  sky  as  an  early  and  sure  harbinger 
of  warmer  days.  These  flocks,  shaped  like  our  plowshares, 
are  of  all  numbers,  from  fifty  to  two  hundred  or  more,  and 
their  uniform  quacks  and  coloring  make  them  extremely 
interesting  in  their  passage  north. 

At  this  time  the  farmers  are  well  on  with  their  work, 
though  seeding  has  scarcely  begun.  Skill  in  farming  is 
shown  by  the  high  standard  of  ploughing  on  the  farm  and 
mostly  in  autumn.  The  furrow  must  be  straight  as  a  line, 
of  regular  width  and  depth,  and  laid  to  lap  its  entire  length. 
In  our  springs  our  seed-sowing  comes  with  a  rush.  The 
good  seeds  are  sown  and  well  harrowed  into  land  of  fair 
dryness.    Our  crops  are  wheat,  oats,  barley,  buckwheat, 

180 


THE  HILLS  AND  SPRINGS 


peas,  beans  and  flax.  The  vegetables  are  potatoes,  turnips, 
beets,  mangels,  carrots,  garden  stuff  and  fruit.  Fat  pigs 
in  lots  of  five  to  a  pen,  nine  to  twelve  cows  to  milk,  butter 
and  cheese  to  churn  and  press,  kept  all  employed.  Prices 
prevailing  were  somewhat  comforting,  and  gave  pleasure 
in  handling  these  products. 

It  was  in  the  fifties,  in  the  sunny  month  of  June,  when 
the  potatoes,  beans,  cucumbers  and  buckwheat  in  their 
thick,  pulpy  leaves  were  well  advanced  and  healthy  looking, 
that  a  white  hoar  frost  silvered  the  grass  in  the  spring  of  the 
morning  and  made  a  picture  of  desolation  hard  to  portray. 
The  evening  before,  as  the  heavy  pails  of  milk  were  strained 
into  the  pans,  father  said,  "I  would  not  be  surprised  if  we 
had  frost  to-night."  This  remark  was  quickly  passed  to 
all  until  we  nearly  shrugged  our  shoulders  with  the  frost 
feeling — the  shadow  of  the  blistered  crops.  The  sun  rose 
in  the  morning  without  a  cloud  in  sight  to  hide  the  coming 
heat.  Grandma  came  in  at  the  breakfast  hour  and  brought 
a  message,  "The  Lord  will  provide."  Father  thought  the 
potatoes  ought  to  be  planted  again,  while  the  boys  bristled 
at  the  thought  of  dropping  them  the  second  time.  Father 
said  if  we  had  thought  in  time  we  could  have  rowed  and 
covered  them  with  the  plow  and  saved  them,  but  it  was 
likely  "  all  for  the  best,"  though  it  was  hard  to  see  it  then. 
The  breakfast  talk  left  a  shadow  on  sober  spirits  we  children 
held  awhile.  The  cellar  had  plenty  of  potato  seed  to  cut 
again,  and  we  were  impressed  into  a  second  service  by  a 
kindly  leader.  Slowly  the  task  took  on  speed.  We  patted 
the  horses  in  friendly  sympathy  in  their  second  furrowing, 
which  they  returned  with  subdued  and  patient  looks.  We 
liked  the  dropping  of  the  beans  the  best  and  that  work  went 
fastest.  Resowing  the  seed  on  the  buckwheat  plots  was 
faster  still.    Rains  of  summer  warmth  came  quickly  after, 

181 


HOME-MAKING  AND  ITS  PHILOSOPHY 


and  we  harvested  the  largest  crops  for  many  years.  Grand- 
mother had  correctly  quoted  the  Scripture,  but  it  took  a 
deal  of  perspiration  out  of  us  and  sweat  from  the  horses 
to  fulfill  the  promise. 


182 


CHAPTER  XXVII 


A  PLEA  FOR  LIFE  IN  THE  COUNTRY 

NO  MEN  deserve  more  of  their  kind  than  those  who 
keep  us  mindful  of  our  childhood  and  send  re- 
freshing streams  of  sentiment  and  feeling  coursing 
down  the  years,  through  work  and  worry.  Life  in  man, 
in  the  lower  animals,  and  in  the  plants  is  governed  by  the 
same  laws  and  comes  from  the  same  Creator,  perfect,  to 
live  and  grow  and  develop  on  the  same  earth,  air  and  sky 
as  we.  The  trees  and  plants  are  as  necessary  to  man  as 
he  is  to  them;  and  yet  they  are  made  for  his  use.  Because 
of  sin,  man  is  liable  to  sink  beneath  both  their  levels,  but 
with  his  endowment  of  will  and  freedom  of  choice  he  is 
exalted  almost  to  the  thoughts  and  level  of  a  deity.  To 
develop  so  complex  an  animal  requires  all  the  attractive 
and  beautiful  influences  of  earth  as  well  as  the  higher  and 
sweeter  influences  of  Heaven. 

The  constructive  work  of  men  in  cities  is  ugly  in  com- 
parison with  the  works  of  nature.  The  lives  of  children 
should  begin  and  dwell  in  nature,  and  be  bent  towards 
the  beautiful  until  character  is  saturated  by  the  beautiful. 
In  the  cities  moral  life  declines  for  two  reasons:  first,  the 
lack  of  the  environment  of  nature;  secondly,  the  want  of 
a  regular  industry,  which  Nature  supplies  in  ample  room 
to  draw  out  the  capabilities  of  the  young  in  her  happy, 
interesting  and  genuine  manner.  A  child  naturally  loves 
to  develop  its  own  ideal  and  will,  which  is  in  exact  agree- 
ment with  its  freedom  in  the  use  of  nature.  The  favorable 
conditions  for  detecting  the  native  possibilities  of  children 
are  wanting  in  the  city. 

The  people  should  be  induced  to  move  outside  the 
towns,  and  a  code  of  municipal  rules  and  laws  be  established 

183 


HOME-MAKING  AND  ITS  PHILOSOPHY 


that  no  house  be  built  without  having  one  or  two  acres  of 
land  for  garden  use.  The  motives  now  set  forth  for  going 
to  the  country  are  unsound  and  are  artificial.  A  system 
of  institute  lectures  for  cities  would  be  useful,  informing 
the  citizens  as  to  the  most  important  reasons  why  cities 
should  extend  into  the  country.  The  cost  of  acres  in  the 
country  would  not  be  as  great  to  individuals  as  mere  house 
lots  without  back  yards  in  cities  are  now.  To  children 
winters  in  the  country  may  be  nearly  as  interesting  as 
summers.  The  present  railways  could  be  used  and  trolley 
lines  laid  down  in  advance.  The  changes  city  people 
crave  are  perennial  in  the  country.  The  wife  and  children 
need  the  companionship  of  nature,  as  well  as  the  husband, 
and  he  could  go  home  to  dinner  for  one  or  two  hours.  The 
family  need  trees  and  shrubs  and  birds,  with  landscapes, 
great  and  small,  to  aid  the  group  towards  individuality. 

People  are  like  flocks  following  leaders.  Our  people 
would  grow  into  a  fuller  completeness  in  country  air  and 
country  surroundings  of  life.  Our  lives  are  moulded  by 
our  surroundings.  It  is  in  the  spirit  and  motives  of  our 
lives  that  change  is  most  imperative.  The  spirit  of  nature 
must  breathe  in  us  its  higher  mission,  until  it  becomes 
paramount  and  overthrows  the  artificialities  and  frivolities 
which  are  sapping  the  womanhood  and  manhood  of  the 
people.  The  rude  shock  and  tremble  of  our  present-day 
civilization  are  pivotal  and  reversal,  attaching  as  they  do 
to  men  values  according  to  property,  scholarship,  society 
and  its  habiliments.  Some  of  these  are  well  enough  when 
subordinated  to  the  true  inward  worth  of  a  man. 

A  man  should  be  judged  not  by  the  crimes  he  does 
not  commit,  but  by  his  true  worth  as  a  citizen.  With  these 
artificial  and  class  distinctions  dominant,  are  not  our  social 
systems   moulding   and   ministering   to   increasingly  per- 

184 


A  PLEA  FOR  LIFE  IN  THE  COUNTRY 


petuate  these  errors,  and  making  difficult  a  speedy  recovery 
to  sounder  principles  ?  And  should  not  our  educational 
system  do  more  to  correct  these  errors  and  lead  in  reform  ? 

Every  note  that  was  sounded  last  year  in  honor  of 
Lincoln,  the  greatest  American,  seems  to  have  failed  to 
trace  his  greatness  to  its  true  fountain.  The  original 
source  of  his  wondrous  growth  and  power,  which  men 
felt  long,  long  before  his  nomination  to  the  presidency, 
is  surely  no  accident.  The  nation  in  its  artificial  concep- 
tions is  perplexed,  and  attaches  a  meaning  to  Lincoln's 
early  life  which  it  clearly  seems  to  me  does  not  belong  to 
him.  Out  of  his  ancestry  arose  the  nation's  finest  type 
of  manhood. 

God  is  the  only  model  and  maker  of  men  with  truth 
unalloyed.  Train  the  child  and  let  him  live  in  the  purer 
influences  of  nature's  feeling,  and  put  love  in  the  soul 
reached  by  its  active  exercise,  and  truth  will  have  its  noblest 
representative.  The  earthy  soil  under  the  plow  sends 
forth  health-giving  odors.  The  trees  in  budding,  leafing, 
blooming,  fruiting,  and  in  naked  forms  again  touch  the 
feeling  and  enwrap  the  human  nature  in  folds  of  teaching 
as  no  artificial  agency  can  do.  Their  odors  seem  to  be 
alive  and  to  draw  our  finer  human  nature  into  active  exercise. 
There  is  no  rudeness  in  its  appeal  to  us,  but  it  breathes  its 
voiceless  message  to  our  senses,  as  God  breathes  in  voice- 
less melody  the  soul's  harmonious  needs.  We  have  the 
proof  through  our  senses,  which  dispels  illusion.  Feeling 
produces  thought,  balancing  the  judgment.  Who  can  trace 
these  fine  channels  by  which  intelligence  is  carried  into 
individuals,  each  true  and  faithful  to  its  kind  ?  Trees  and 
other  plants  may  multiply  their  varieties  almost  without 
end,  but  they  do  so  in  obedience  to  law,  and  each  is  in- 
herentlv  loyal  to  its  Creator.    Yet  even  here  man  has  a 

i85 


HOME-MAKING  AND  ITS  PHILOSOPHY 


power  to  work  hand  in  hand  with  nature  we  know  little 
of  to-day.  It  needs  a  Burbank  to  lead  the  way  to  a  new 
realm  of  wisdom,  truth  and  wealth  we  know  too  little  of, 
but  which  is  full  of  riches  for  us.  The  opinions  of  mankind 
two  thousand  years  ago  were  the  same  as  to-day.  "Can 
any  good  thing  come  out  of  Nazareth,"  said  they.  And 
this  is  the  human  error  sifted  through  the  masses.  The 
formative  influences  of  feeling  found  in  a  volume  of  twenty 
years  of  life  were  pure  and  rich  and  were  indelibly  fixed 
in  character,  proceeding  from  the  inward  truth  in  nature 
in  which  Lincoln  lived  and  grew.  His  character  was  fixed 
into  a  supreme  kindliness  of  feeling  and  permanently  in 
these  twenty  years  because  of  the  whole  soul  and  life  of 
the  young  man  being  permeated  and  immersed  in  realities 
which  lent  an  inherent  strength  before  he  entered  the 
vortex  of  political  strife;  so  that  the  inherent  weakness  of 
artificial  life  and  all  it  stands  for  in  active  life  was  not 
able  to  defeat  his  nobler  purposes  and  plans.  When  Lincoln 
lay  upon  his  back  close  to  mother  earth  at  night,  and 
by  the  light  of  the  blazing  knot  read  his  Bible  and 
"Pilgrim's  Progress,"  or  his  "  Blackstone,"  he  was  inhaling 
the  breath  once  breathed  over  Eden  on  His  work  and 
where  it  remains  pure  as  when  it  came  from  His  hand. 
Our  God  has  bowed  us  down  to  what  we  are,  our  sins  and 
sorrows  have  broken  us,  but  know  that  we  were  once  as 
pure,  and  now  are  seeking  to  recover  the  spirit  of  what 
was  lost.  The  man  who  intakes  the  most  of  nature  in  the 
spirit  of  its  Maker  must  live  much  in  nature,  and  the  thick- 
ness of  the  fiber  embedded  in  early  life  makes  for  our  restora- 
tion by  its  teaching.  The  weakness  of  our  education, 
universal,  is  man's  forcing  a  human  system  rebellious  to 
the  nature  of  the  soul  and  inventive  in  its  human  character 
and  at  variance  with  our  soul's  development,  that  in  the 

186 


A  PLEA  FOR  LIFE  IN  THE  COUNTRY 


end  crushes  our  fine-grained  aspirations  or  buries  them 
beyond  their  light  of  life.  "To  think  is  to  live  naturally, 
for  he  who  thinks  not  has  no  sense  of  life.  Wouldst  thou 
make  the  most  of  life,  wouldst  thou  have  the  joy  of  the 
present,  let  thought's  invisible  shuttle  weave  full  in  the 
loom  of  time  the  moment's  passing  threads."  The  spirit 
of  the  homes  of  to-day  needs  re-creating  in  the  sweetness 
and  beauty  of  nature  for  the  service  of  humanity. 

Another  present  instance  typical  of  this  thought  is 
furnished  by  Mr.  Roosevelt,  a  soul  rich  in  inheritance,  which 
he  cultivated  in  youth  persistently  in  nature's  way  far,  far 
beyond  the  most  of  men.  The  world  of  nature  supplies 
a  venting  land  for  youthful  souls  to  roam  to  find  the  purpose 
of  their  existence.  Besides  it  is  the  only  spot  we  know 
charged  with  actual  realities.  The  souls  that  center  their 
native  energies  in  a  plummet  line  for  the  goal  of  inward 
greatness  have  no  place  left  for  flimsy  imitations.  It  seeks 
the  source  of  real  power  from  its  Deity  through  itself. 
From  characters  growing  out  of  these  beginnings  no  man 
may  permanently  wrest  true  greatness.  All  the  baubles 
of  earth  including  wealth  may  go,  but  the  man  of  greatness 
remains  serene,  unmoved.  His  courage  rests  on  a  hidden 
base  of  solid  worth.  It  makes  his  frankness  in  speech 
the  boldest.  His  conceptions  of  life  are  inborn  and  enforce 
an  action  in  line  of  duty.  Their  real  strength  lies  not  in 
their  arguments  but  in  the  bodies  of  the  men,  and  men 
applaud  and  follow  because  a  natural  manhood  is  seen  and 
known  in  the  only  way  true  manhood  is  ever  made.  Men 
must  be  brave  in  arm  as  well  as  spirit.    Hear  him  speak. 

Colonel  Roosevelt  said  in  part  :  "  No  man  may  reach  the 
front  rank  who  is  not  intelligent  and  not  trained  with  intelli- 
gence. Mere  intelligence  itself  is  worse  than  useless  unless 
it  is  guided  by  an  upright  heart  with  strength  and  courage 

i87 


HOME-MAKING  AND  ITS  PHILOSOPHY 


behind  it.  Morality,  decency,  clean  living,  courage,  manli- 
ness and  self-respect  are  more  important  than  mental 
subtlety." 

Such  men  are  earnest  because  they  live  in  its  precincts 
always.  Going  back  to  its  last  analysis  this  power  in  men 
is  germed  within  the  soul,  discovered  in  the  natural  sunlight 
of  the  world,  growing  and  unfolding  in  the  cable  line  of 
a  dual  divinity  among  the  forces  of  the  world. 

By  contrast  we  seek  truth  from  man  and  works  of  man 
and  the  result  is  a  mixture  of  truth,  deceit  and  duplicity. 

Does  not  man  in  early  life  need  more  feeling  generated 
by  truth  within,  freshly  drawn  out  of  nature,  sound  at 
its  source,  and  mastering  in  its  power,  amid  our  natural 
and  free  loving  surroundings  ? 

When  a  boy  I  recall  one  of  our  company  breaking  a 
laden  branch  of  wild  cherries  to  carry  on  the  homeward 
march.  My  feelings  were  hurt  then,  and  the  hurt  is  vivid 
now.    I  spoke  of  it  then,  but  was  laughed  at. 

Was  that  not  a  fundamental  outcome  of  our  training  ? 
And  that  was  the  point  in  time  and  place  where  our  parents 
were  strong — namely,  never  to  hurt  the  finer  feelings  of 
the  children.  Even  punishments  were  apologized  for. 
We  need  to  learn  the  use  of  a  deeper,  broader  sympathy, 
proceeding  from  the  heart,  which  is  endorsed  by  reason 
and  clarified  in  the  deeper  recesses  of  conscious  life.  Im- 
pressions conveyed  to  us  from  the  fashioning  in  nature  are 
free  from  taint  of  evil.  The  world  has  not  sinned  but  man 
has  sinned.  Our  lives  are  being  quickened  by  intense 
desire  for  true  knowledge. 

"I  love  the  sunshine,  the  blue  sky,  trees,  flowers,  moun- 
tains, green  meadows,  running  brooks,  the  ocean,  when  its 
waves  softly  ripple  along  its  sandy  beach  or  when  pounding 
its  rocky  cliffs  with  its  thunder  and  roar,  the  birds  of  the 

188 


A  PLEA  FOR  LIFE  IN  THE  COUNTRY 


fields,  waterfalls,  the  rainbow,  the  dawn,  the  noonday,  the 
evening  sunset,  but  the  children  above  them  all.  Trees, 
plants,  flowers,  they  are  all  educators  in  the  right  direction. 
They  always  make  us  happier  and  better,  and  if  well  grown 
they  speak  of  loving  care,  respond  to  it  as  far  as  it  is  in 
their  power,  and  in  all  this  world  there  is  nothing  we  so 
appreciate  as  children,  the  sensitive,  quivering  things  of 
sunshine,  smiles,  showers  and  tears." — Luther  Burbank. 

I  do  not  know  which  more  joy  imparts — 
Which  hath  the  sweeter  taste.    The  page 

That  tells  of  Hope  in  youthful  hearts, 
Or  tender  memories  of  age. 


189 


CHAPTER  XXVIII 


BOYISH  PRANKS 

I REMEMBER  well  a  frolic  of  mine  which  perhaps 
I  should  forget.  Mr.  Charles  Dean,  a  tall  man 
of  seventy  years  and  straight  as  an  arrow,  called 
one  afternoon  on  grandfather  and  grandmother.  He  stood 
his  fine,  shiny,  black  mare  in  the  stable  and  by  accident, 
I  think,  I  went  in  to  look  at  her.  She  was  a  nervy  animal 
with  a  vicious  temper  which  boys  do  not  like.  I  had  a 
rod  in  my  hand  to  enforce  respect  from  her.  I  touched 
her  with  it  and  asked  her  to  iC Stand  over."  Immediatelv 
both  heels  went  to  the  roof,  the  stable  being  a  leanto.  Be- 
fore the  feet  touched  the  shingles  the  force  was  gone.  I 
was  greatly  tickled,  she  did  it  so  well.  I  touched  her  again, 
and  away  the  heels  flew.  It  was  great  sport.  It  was  not 
long  before  the  sweat  started  on  her,  because  she  was  a 
high  flier.  But  she  began  it  and  it  was  not  time  to  stop. 
I  kept  up  the  game  with  the  touch,  and  she  never  failed  to 
do  her  part.  At  last  it  dawned  upon  me  that  she  might 
be  tempted  to  do  this  thing  in  the  wagon,  so  I  closed  the 
door  and  slipped  away, 

When  Mr.  Dean  came  out  I  did  not  go  to  his  assistance 
as  was  our  custom,  but  watched  him  from  afar.  After 
bridling  she  threw  her  feet  at  the  unoffending  roof  in  a  sort 
of  unkindly  farewell,  while  Mr.  Dean  was  soothingly  talk- 
ing to  her,  which  seemed  to  fall  unheeded  upon  her  excited 
ears.  However  he  persisted,  leading  her  around  to  where 
the  cooling  brook  flows  for  refreshment  for  all  thirsty  animals, 
which  was  probably  better  for  her  at  this  stage  of  her  temper 
than  a  feed  of  oats. 

The  dashboard  was  movable,  and  I  noticed  he  took 
the  precaution  to  lift  it  carefully  from  its  sockets  and  lay 

190 


BOTISH  PRANKS 


it  in  the  back  part  of  the  wagon,  and  then  he  led  her  into 
the  shafts.  She  knew  her  master  and  was  disposed  to 
obey. 

He  led  her  out  to  the  road  and  then  took  the  hand  reins 
back  to  walk  along  with  her.  She  went  along  but  sud- 
denly recollecting  the  roof  she  impulsively  threw  up  her 
heels,  against  better  training,  time  after  time  in  quick  suc- 
cession, like  flashes  of  lightning;  but  with  saving  effect  the 
heels  came  down  out  of  the  air  in  the  same  spot  within  the 
shafts  whence  they  started.  About  this  time  my  sides  were 
aching  from  suppressed  laughter,  but  there  was  yet  about 
one-quarter  of  a  mile  around  both  turns  in  the  road  before 
they  would  pass  out  of  sight,  and  I  must  hold  in  the  merri- 
ment. After  a  timely  fling  she  would  go  for  a  few  steps  fairly 
well,  but  the  remembrance  of  the  rod  sent  her  again  on  the 
fly. 

Had  Mr.  Dean  been  able  to  fix  her  ideas  on  going  home 
instead  of  flying,  I  think  he  would  have  subdued  her  and 
would  have  made  her  worth  more  money.  His  treatment 
however  was  calm  and  persuasive  without  the  whip. 

The  enjoyment  was  prolonged  to  my  fullest  capacity.  I 
greatly  regretted  some  of  the  boys  could  not  have  been 
there  to  share  the  fun.  Of  course  I  was  not  a  little  anxious 
for  Mr.  Dean  all  the  afternoon  and  in  my  visions  that 
night.  A  few  days  later  I  learned  he  arrived  safely  home, 
but  rather  late  in  the  evening,  little  dreaming  of  the  good 
spirit  he  exemplified,  nor  of  being  the  innocent  cause  of 
the  large  amount  of  fun  given  a  boy. 


191 


CHAPTER  XXIX 


THE  OLD-FASHIONED  ORCHARD 

EVE'S  motive  in  giving  an  apple  to  Adam  is  still 
unsolved.  The  over-river  orchard  must  have  been 
planted  at  the  beginning  of  the  nineteenth  century 
with  seedling  trees,  or  with  seeds  carried  by  the  squirrels 
along  the  rocky  veins  running  down  the  slope  towards  the 
spring.  Or  the  trees  may  have  grown  in  the  forest  years 
before,  and  were  there  laden  with  fruit  awaiting  the  chil- 
dren's hands.  The  apple  flavor  blended  strongly  with 
bitterness,  or  fancied  sweetness  and  bitterness  combined. 
Happily  the  apples  were  small  as  eggs,  or  smaller,  and 
formed  an  alliance  which  produced  an  imbitterment  both 
in  the  mouth  and  deeper  down.  No  two  fruits  were  alike. 
We  knew  not  how  to  get  rid  of  their  taste.  We  were  inclined 
to  class  them  with  the  herbs  of  our  childhood  ailments, 
but  botanical  teaching  was  opposed  to  such  a  theory,  though 
we  could  prove  their  working  qualities  as  we  did  those  of 
the  herbal  pills,  but  we  could  take  our  choice.  It  is  marvel- 
lous how  multiple  are  the  kinds  and  flavors  nature  is  free 
to  make. 

These  knurly  apples  gave  us  in  some  measure  the  idea 
of  what  apples  were  like  in  the  remote  past,  when  no  signs 
of  improvement  were  known  or  practised,  even  in  Adam's 
time.  The  beautiful  and  the  useful  should  always  har- 
monize. Father  strove  to  keep  them  both  abreast.  How 
Eve  after  tasting  could  have  given  it  to  Adam,  whom  she 
loved,  is  a  mystery  to  man  in  this  scientific  age.  Doubtless 
the  bitter  taste  remained  in  her  mouth,  and  it  must  be  rid 
of  before  she  met  him  again.  Be  that  as  it  may,  her  desire 
for  the  good  of  Adam  and  the  race,  and  for  sweet-flavored 
fruits,  was  present.    Adam  was  made  the  instrument  in 

192 


THE  OLD-FASHIONED  ORCHARD 


the  study  of  the  science  and  the  art  to  produce  one  suitable 
to  her  taste.  She  passed  the  apple  and  from  it  he  learned 
the  bitterness. 

Poor  innocent  children  as  we  were  would  not  commit 
such  a  sin  for  a  pocketful  of  them.  In  fact,  the  more  of 
them  that  might  be  ofFered  would  only  strengthen  the 
resistance  to  the  tempter.  It  was,  however,  only  a  work 
of  time  to  mellow  the  apples,  and  they  were  better  than 
they  looked.  Stowed  in  the  haymow,  or  peeled,  dried, 
strung  and  hung,  they  made  a  passable  sauce. 

After  these  apples  had  lain  in  the  haymow  a  few  weeks 
until  we  had  almost  forgotten  their  existence,  the  breezy 
air  wafted  to  our  nostrils  better  odors,  and  we  instantly 
felt  a  fresh  interest  in  their  hiding-places.  If  the  air  was 
heavy-laden  we  went  to  them  with  speed,  but  not  to  sample 
by  the  taste,  as  the  reader  may  suppose,  because  that  meant 
waste.  Our  method  was  to  smell  them,  which  was  usually 
unerring.  Where  they  found  this  odoriferous  goodness 
remained  a  mystery.  We  had  waited  patiently  its  arrival, 
and  we  had  our  strong  suspicions  they  got  it  in  the  dark 
and  quiet  nesting  places,  as  in  favoring  circumstances 
parents  look  for  a  deeply  hidden  goodness  in  their  children, 
which  often  comes  as  slowly  as  in  the  apples. 

The  sauce  was  made  with  sugar  boiled  into  them  in  the 
making,  and  was  very  appetizing  in  the  cold  days  of  winter. 
They  were  understood  to  be  the  children's  apples  and  were 
reserved  for  them.  Our  visiting  friends  were  not  entertained 
at  the  children's  expense,  nor  did  we  pass  a  plate  of  these 
rosy  reds  to  any  but  to  those  of  our  age.  Of  course  we 
treated  the  neighbors'  children  when  they  wanted  apples. 
But  they  were  great  spenders,  more  so  than  the  grafted 
apples  of  the  Annapolis  Valley. 

There  was  much  fun  in  shaking  the  trees,  as  was  our 

193 


HOME-MAKING  AND  ITS  PHILOSOPHY 


habit.  One  of  the  larger  boys  who  had  weight  would 
climb  the  tree,  and  down  they  would  fall  in  myriads  on 
the  helpless  pickers,  filling  many  barrels  and  becoming 
the  innocent  cause  of  much  fun  and  frolic.  Some  were 
white,  some  red,  others  red  and  white,  and  some  were 
spotted  in  many  variegated  colors.  The  barrels  were  set 
on  the  hayrack  and  the  oxen  driven  through  the  lower 
ford  of  the  spring  and  river  with  all  on  board,  and  their 
faces  changed  into  puckered  countenances  most  amusing 
to  see.  The  love  in  us  for  apples  was  so  pronounced  that 
we  did  our  best  to  picture  them  as  good,  but  in  the  end  the 
bitterness  and  sourness  overwhelmed  us  and  we  were  willing 
then  to  wait  their  mellowing.  The  orchard  in  the  arbor 
glen  had  larger  and  better  apples  and  they  were  gathered  in 
similar  fashion  and  were  sorted  in  a  more  careful  way. 

In  November  the  apple  paring  began.  We  circled 
around  the  dining-table,  peeling,  coring  and  stringing, 
with  one  appointed  reader.  These  were  the  evenings  of 
candles  and  snuffers,  and  about  every  thirty  minutes  or 
less  it  was  one's  duty  to  snuff  the  candle  properly.  I  think 
I  can  see  some  of  the  younger  ones  ambitiously  slip  their 
thumb  and  finger  into  the  large  place  for  lifting  the  snuffers, 
and  with  the  other  hand  serving  as  a  prop  sail  across  the 
candle  and  leave  us  in  darkness.  Many  a  disappointed 
expectation  in  each  one  of  us  failed  in  the  candlelight,  but 
splints  were  drawn  from  a  hanging  bunch  near  the  hearth 
and  light  came  back.  In  those  evenings  Harriet,  Emily 
and  George  were  all  good  readers,  and  they  chose  what 
they  pleased  or  some  one  suggested,  or  a  book  was  taken 
and  continued  until  finished.  The  reader  had  the  special 
honor  of  the  evening,  but  father  and  mother  gave  us  all  a 
chance.  Sarah,  Annie  and  Arthur  were  averaged  high  as 
readers  later.    Sometimes  father  was  on  the  shoemaker's 

194 


THE  OLD-FASHIONED  ORCHARD 


seat  or  mother  in  the  rocker  with  her  sewing.  All  were 
in  easy  hearing  of  the  reader,  who  must  be  clear  and  forcible 
and  enunciate  the  author's  meaning.  This  made  it  good 
for  listeners  who  were  expected  to  follow  the  line  of  thought 
and  answer  any  simple  or  reasonable  question  father  asked. 
If  the  reader  paused  to  get  a  glass  of  water  or  something 
was  called  for  we  turned  our  attention  to  lighter  matters. 
There  were  scores  of  these  happy  evenings  through  the 
autumn  and  vvinter.  It  gave  unity  to  our  aims  and  in- 
centives to  all,  and  bound  us  together  by  unbreakable  ties. 
Our  parents  made  us  feel  it  was  their  deepest  pleasure 
to  note  our  progress.  Biography  of  good  men  and  women 
who  had  risen  from  lowly  life  to  eminence  with  honor  was 
often  read  and  commented  on.  Havelock's  life  was  a 
great  favorite.  Father  loved  to  tell  of  his  habits  of  life — 
if  the  march  was  at  six  o'clock  he  rose  at  four,  for  two  hours 
set  apart  for  religious  devotions.  He  would  not  rob  God 
or  himself  of  sufficient  time  for  Bible  readings  and  prayer. 
He  told  us  Havelock  was  one  of  the  wrorld's  wisest  and 
greatest  Christian  men,  ranking  with  Moses  and  Joshua. 
The  nations  are  seeking  men  for  their  armies  modeled  on 
such  types.  The  American  people  like  to  compare  with 
Havelock  their  Howard  of  the  Civil  War,  widely  known 
for  his  exalted  Christian  character.  "The  Prince  of  the 
House  of  David"  and  " Pilgrim's  Progress"  were  read  over 
and  over  by  the  children,  as  also  were  "  Uncle  Tom's  Cabin," 
"Robinson  Crusoe,"  Spurgeon's  Sermons,  "Baxter's,"  "Dod- 
dridge," "Rowland  Hill,"  and  "Capt.  Hedley  Vickers," 
"Lady  Huntington,"  Chambers' s  Journal  and  a  few  others. 
They  were  read  over  and  over,  while  the  Christian  Messenger 
and  Witness  and  Child's  Papers  were  weekly  or  monthly 
comers. 

The  social  winter  life  of  neighboring  boys  and  girls 

!95 


HOME-MAKING  AND  ITS  PHILOSOPHY 


was  cultivated  by  mother  asking  them  in  to  tea,  when  even- 
ing games  were  played  and  a  good  time  was  spent.  Prep- 
aration was  made  to  give  them  a  good  tea,  and  mother 
knew  just  how  to  do  it.  If  it  happened  there  were  many 
older  people  who  brought  the  children,  two  sets  of  teas 
were  served  and  the  grown  ups  went  to  the  parlor  after 
the  first  tables.  The  children  never  lost  anything  by  this 
arrangement,  as  they  were  always  sure  the  bi&  eaters  were 
satisfied.  Their  plates  were  piled  with  cakes  and  goodies. 
I  have  almost  forgotten  the  names  of  those  old-time  edibles. 

Theirs  was  the  hospitality  of  making  people  happy, 
and  never  freezing  out  the  house  by  half-concealed  regrets. 
The  products  of  the  farm  formed  most  of  what  was  used 
at  home.  Barley  bread  interlayered  the  wholesome  fare, 
with  doughnuts  and  small  cakes  and  pies,  which  tasted  good 
and  which  we  would  like  to  taste  again. 

Rocking-chairs  and  sofas  made  our  homes  as  com- 
fortable then  as  to-day  and  did  not  cost  one-twentieth  as 
much.  Music  would  form  a  part,  but  Aunt  Sarah's  flutina 
was  our  only  instrument.  Father  did  not  sing  but  he 
always  listened  and  enjoyed  it  all.  Mother  led  in  singing 
and  Cousin  Anna  would  be  in  as  one  of  us. 

The  older  people  enjoyed  old-fashioned  talks  that  had 
some  meaning  back  of  them  and  they  themselves  stood 
well  behind  their  subjects  in  interesting  personalities.  The 
large  dining-room,  with  the  big  fireplace  and  bushel  of 
red-hot  coals  dancing  with  sparkling  eyes,  was  a  delightful 
place  for  us  children.  In  this  room  we  played  "blind- 
man's  buff,"  and  much  rolling  laughter  did  it  furnish  when 
the  unlucky  one  was  caught;  "puss  in  the  corner,"  "button," 
"roast  beef  behind  your  back,"  and  other  joyous  games. 

Many  and  many  a  good  story  was  told,  or  conundrums 
asked,  or  riddles  proposed,  that  kept  up  a  freshness  of 

196 


THE  OLD-FASHIONED  ORCHARD 


interest  or  a  sense  of  mystery  about  a  rebus.  But  at  dancing 
and  card  playing  the  line  was  drawn,  and  did  we  lose  much  ? 
At  ten  or  eleven  o'clock  the  horses  and  sleighs  were  brought 
to  the  doors  by  the  boys,  "good  nights"  were  said,  and 
"We've  had  a  good  time,  good  night."  We  went  to  bed 
to  dream  of  a  fairyland  the  evening  had  suggested  to  our 
visions. 

Some  of  the  honored  and  worthy  families  with  whom 
father  and  mother  exchanged  through  life  the  friendship  of 
home  associations  were  the  families  of  James  and  Matthew 
Archibald  at  "The  Mills,"  Squire  and  Mrs.  Burris,  Wel- 
wood  Reynolds  and  Uncle  John  Dechman  (church  pre- 
centor), and  their  families;  Colonel  Kent;  our  grand-uncles 
and  aunts  in  closer  relation;  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Studley  Horton, 
kind  and  true;  Thomas  Hutchingson  and  his  maiden  sisters. 
These  and  others  were  our  lifelong  friends  and  neighbors, 
and  our  parents  felt  it  was  a  goodly  thing  to  dwell  among 
them. 

Father's  relation  to  us  was  one  of  companionship,  with 
mutual  understanding,  but  in  no  sense  would  we  wish  to 
take  liberties.  Being  the  eldest  and  more  naturally  way- 
ward than  my  brothers,  I  knew  the  deeper  meaning  implied 
in  the  foregoing,  but  he  sometimes  withheld  punishment 
where  it  was  deserved  and  in  so  doing  acted  with  wisdom. 
Not  one  of  his  children,  and  the  seven  are  still  living,  but 
places  his  name  high  in  the  temple  and  roll  of  honor;  and 
no  length  of  time  or  change  of  circumstances  can  ever 
diminish,  but  will  only  increase  our  reverence.  His  judicious 
instruction  in  wisdom's  ways  saturated  the  home  through 
and  through  for  his  wife  and  children.  His  highest  act 
was  to  surround  the  home  with  a  shield  emblazoned  in 
the  purest  family  love,  for  the  noblest  citizenship,  for  his 
Queen  and  land,  and  for  the  honor  and  glory  of  his  God. 

197 


HOME-MAKING  AND  ITS  PHILOSOPHY 


It  was  about  this  period  that  the  fatal  accident  occurred 
to  William  Farnell,  who  lived  four  miles  up  the  river  and 
who  was  killed  by  a  tree  falling  on  him.  His  two  sons 
were  with  him  and  Daniel  was  able  to  lift  the  tree  so  his 
brother  could  draw  his  father  from  under  it.  Daniel 
said  he  afterwards  tried  but  was  never  able  to  lift  the  tree 
again.  Father  took  me  with  him  to  the  funeral.  It  cast 
a  gloom  over  the  community  and  he  impressed  its  lesson 
upon  us  all. 


198 


THE  BAY  OF  FUNDY— A  CLIMATIC  STUDY 


CHAPTER  XXX 


HORTICULTURE  IN  THE  TWENTIETH 
CENTURY 

THE  owner  of  an  apple  orchard,  with  plum  and 
cherry  trees  filled  in  between,  has  attained  to  the 
finest  calling  in  nature.  The  apple  flowers  are 
white  and  pink  single  roses.  These  trees,  with  the  intelli- 
gent assistance  of  man,  have  improved  from  thorny  seedlings 
to  smooth  bark  and  big  blossom  buds.  In  the  distance 
their  heads  display  bowers  of  beauty  to  attract  choicer 
spirited  men  to  purer  efforts  in  life.  Wherever  home- 
makers  embower  their  surroundings  with  these  trees  of 
loveliness,  will  there  grow  a  manlier  race  of  men.  The 
higher  civilization  partly  waits  on  this  science,  for  they 
move  abreast  hand  in  hand,  as  do  lovers. 

Why  at  this  time  do  "Bluenoses"  born  in  Fundy's 
briny  air,  in  good  health,  in  reputation  abroad  rank  so 
high  in  innate  tastes,  social  worth,  literary  attainments, 
and  establishment  in  the  higher  walks  of  life  ? 

Once  men  ate  berries  from  thorny  bushes,  and  sloes 
and  pears  and  choking  cherries.  A  thousand  years  ago 
the  market  sold  apples  the  size  of  crabs,  with  their  bitter 
acid  flavors. 

From  the  British  Isles  and  Europe  our  ancestors  brought 
seeds  and  plants  for  home  companionship,  to  stretch  across 
America.  Some  trees  from  those  planted  in  Maritime 
Canada  have  overgrown  three  feet  in  diameter,  and  are 
nearing  two  hundred  years  of  age.  They  were  planted 
by  the  French,  and  many  are  still  bearing  apples.  These 
Maritime  lands  possess  an  equable  climate.  These  first 
trees  were  set  in  groves  and  not  in  rows.  Human  im- 
provements mean  better  fruits  and  cereals.    Flesh  foods 

199 


HOME-MAKING  AND  ITS  PHILOSOPHY 


will  give  place  to  fruits  and  grains.  There  is  a  fascination 
the  gardener  finds  in  turning  soil  chemicals  into  aromatic, 
spicy  nourishments  and  golden  coin.  The  boy  whose 
soul  inclines  to  learn  the  process  and  the  art  of  marketing 
is  learning  things  valued  more  in  keeping  with  real  life 
and  solid  worth  to  him  than  other  avenues  can  give.  In 
our  sweet  childhood  we  sat  down  in  the  old-fashioned 
apple  orchards  which  had  no  care,  and  ate  their  bitterness 
with  relish.  To-day  the  Annapolis  Valley  ornaments  the 
world  in  the  quality  of  its  fruit  achievements.  Less  than 
a  century  measures  this  progress. 

The  main  coast  lines  of  the  Bay  of  Fundy  are  walled 
by  mountain  ranges  six  hundred  feet  in  height,  which  hold 
the  fogs  against  their  sides  until  contra  winds  from  those 
which  brought  them  in  drive  them  back  to  sea  or  send  them 
upwards  by  sunnier  ways.  Cape  Blomidon,  on  the  east  of 
the  Bay,  is  a  large  mountain  hook  extending  into  Minas 
Channel.  In  its  majesty  it  stands  in  magnificent  view  from 
the  Longfellow  monument  at  Grand  Pre,  now  to  be  erected 
in  a  park  of  its  own.  Behind  this  hook  the  fog  is  driven 
by  the  southwest  winds  and  pressed  to  density  for  nearly 
one  hundred  miles  in  length.  Through  this  bank  of  fog 
passes  the  briny  air  as  through  a  strainer,  moving  on  and 
up  over  the  crest  of  the  mountain  into  the  Annapolis  Valley, 
lying  in  the  sunlight  below. 

The  redolence  of  buttercups  and  sweet  ferns,  daisies 
and  blooming  fields  of  grains  and  grasses,  with  sweet- 
smelling  meadows  of  new-mown  hay  in  well-watered  vales, 
wedded  with  woodland  perfume,  floats  upward  and  scents 
afresh  this  cleanly  atmosphere  with  renewing  odors.  The 
crisp  aroma  silted  in  the  growing  and  maturing  fruit  is 
inevitably  giving  it  that  spicy,  fragrant,  aromatic  taste 
now  commercially  sought  after.    The  salty  airs  of  the 

200 


TWENTIETH-CENTURY  HORTICULTURE 


bay  and  ocean  blown  through  the  stranded  fogs  are  strained 
of  ocean  chill  and  impurities,  cleansing  and  softening  these 
asperities  into  pure,  balmy  currents,  picking  up  the  dust 
fragrances  on  their  way.  These  impart  their  choicest 
aromas  to  growing  apples,  such  as  the  Gravensteins,  Rib- 
stones,  Kings,  crisp  and  spicy  that  England  always  calls 
for  and  loves  so  well. 

On  the  opposite  side  of  the  Bay  of  Fundy,  from  near 
St.  John  to  Moncton,  these  natural  fruit  conditions  are 
the  same.  It  is  well  to  apprehend  these  natural  changes  in 
a  climate  study,  for  upon  the  character  of  the  climate 
rests  vastly  greater  importance  than  on  any  set  of  soil 
conditions,  good  as  they  may  be,  for  growing  fruits  pos- 
sessing aroma  richness. 

It  is  only  in  such  sifted  air  as  Fundy's  fog  supplies  that 
these  apples  reach  their  superb  quality  and  grade.  This 
process  of  nature  cleansing  and  refining  airs  for  fruit  growers 
is  of  intrinsic  value,  and  never  can  be  overestimated  or  over- 
known.  The  coldness  and  asperities  of  the  air  in  motion 
are  changed  into  balmy  warmth,  made  redolent  with  dusty 
odors  by  straining  them  through  heavy  fogs  it  always  leaves 
behind  on  a  lower  altitude  on  the  mountain's  outer  side. 
There  is  natural  beauty  in  this  unrivaled  Garden-of-the- 
Empire  to  accentuate  and  strengthen,  and  there  is  a  glory 
of  the  spirit  in  men  to  enhance  and  preserve  it.  The  home 
of  the  Mayflower  is  a  fragrant  land,  fog-girt  in  the  distance 
as  a  blanket  to  refinement.  Our  people  have  the  easy 
contentment  of  men  of  action.  They  are  planting  road- 
side orchards,  and  laying  hold  of  the  export  opportunities 
of  the  greater  Maritime  Canada.  The  cold  Arctic  stream 
that  passes  Cape  Breton  courses  across  the  uniting  line 
of  the  Atlantic  waters  and  this  Bay,  so  that  the  waters  of 
the  Bay  of  Fundy  are  several  degrees  colder  in  summer 

201 


HOME-MAKING  AND  ITS  PHILOSOPHT 


than  those  of  Northumberland  Straits.  Prince  Edward 
Island  is  further  north  than  any  points  considered  in  this 
chapter  but  is  completely  encircled  by  two  tidal  currents 
from  the  Atlantic,  which  meet  at  Cape  Tormentine.  These 
two  ocean  currents,  one  of  which  is  comparatively  warm, 
ensure  the  island  eventually  becoming  a  great  fruit-growing 
country.  For  fogs  and  tidal  waves  are  paramount  to  all 
other  influences  combined  in  this  matter  of  raising  fruit. 
Hence  these  Provinces  will  forever  stand  unequalled  in 
natural  opportunities  for  producing  what  is  best  and  choicest 
in  their  flavors. 

Maritime  Canada  will  continue  to  grow  apples  for 
the  English  palate  as  a  delightful  food,  for  our  apples  have 
the  character  and  the  quality  so  well  defined  by  the  mother- 
land through  a  thousand  years  of  culturing  taste  and  the 
use  of  fruits  grown  in  every  quarter  of  the  world. 


202 


CHAPTER  XXXI 


THANKSGIVING  AND  CHRISTMAS 

THESE  home  builders  communed  with  one  another 
to  learn  how  best  to  strengthen  the  ties  that  bind 
the  home,  and  put  into  it  the  inflow  of  good  feeling, 
so  that  it  would  grow  richer  as  the  inmates  grew  older. 
Thanksgiving  Day  in  November,  usually  a  Thursday, 
was  legally  appointed,  a  church  service  was  held  in  the 
morning  at  eleven,  and  a  sermon  was  preached,  reviewing 
the  year  and  its  blessings.  The  horses  were  harnessed 
and  in  a  sense  the  Sabbath  feeling  came  into  Thanksgiving 
for  only  necessary  work  was  done.  The  children  were  not 
allowed  to  walk  to  meeting,  not  only  because  they  had 
been  working,  but  also  because  the  walkers  in  the  country 
were  often  loose-minded  and  their  influence  adverse  to 
the  spirit  of  Thanksgiving.  I  think  we  always  came  home 
feeling  we  had  more  blessings,  and  could  name  them  better 
after  the  sermon. 

Grandfather  had  two  fireplaces,  and  there  was  always 
a  fire  in  one  of  them  summer  and  winter,  for  they  would 
not  have  a  cook  stove.  His  sons  were  not  quite  so  wedded 
to  ancient  custom,  and  allowed  a  travelling  salesman  to 
put  a  stove  in  our  kitchen,  while  we  children  were  glad  of 
an  innovation  that  promised  novelty;  yet  we  got  poor  ex- 
change for  the  cheerfulness  of  the  open  hearth.  A  black 
stove  sitting  in  the  way  is  not  so  healthful  as  the  open 
hearth. 

The  Thanksgiving  dinner  was  a  special  one,  and  the 
day  was  a  valuable  contribution  to  the  home. 

The  brick  oven  to  the  right  of  the  fireplace,  on  weekly 
baking  days,  was  heated  with  large,  dry  hardwood,  curly 
maple  being  the  best  for  it  left  a  sappy  sweetness  in  the 

203 


HOME-MAKING  AND  ITS  PHILOSOPHY 


heated  bricks.  It  was  strong,  healthful  exercise  for  the 
boys  to  get  the  sticks  inside.  These  left  a  broad  bed  of 
hot  coals  to  maintain  the  oven  heat  and  make  the  bread 
well  baked.  Then  with  a  long-handled  shovel,  hand- 
somely polsihed  and  prettily  turned  at  the  top,  once  grand- 
mother's, the  pans  of  dough,  six  inches  deep,  were  pushed 
well  back.  The  family  capacity  had  often  been  measured, 
and  pans  went  in  even  if  they  overfilled  the  oven.  To  close  in 
the  heat  with  safety  an  iron  door  was  shut,  but  a  second  door 
of  well-strapped  wood  gave  double  closing  that  made  the 
good  bread  that  mother  always  seemed  so  sure  of  making. 
Sometimes  our  growing  capacity  was  underrated,  and  a 
sandwich  of  Scotch  oatcake,  made  of  oatmeal  and  butter 
rolled  into  thin,  flat  cakes,  cut  into  squares  and  set  into  a 
toast-rack  close  to  the  big  andirons  with  large  knobs  on 
top,  made  up  the  deficiency.  In  a  few  minutes  these  were 
baked  and  browned,  and  were  eaten  hot  or  cold  with  butter 
or  sweet  milk,  and  mother  often  found  it  difficult  to  bake 
them  fast  enough. 

But  it  vvas  down  our  chimney  that  Santa  Claus  came 
each  Christmas  with  wonderful  things,  and  one  of  the 
wonderful  things  is  that  at  fifty,  sixty  or  seventy  years 
of  age  his  happy  thoughts  of  life  hold  us  as  strongly  as 
ever,  and  have  done  us  all  an  immense  amount  of  good.  I 
have  not  been  able  to  get  an  inventory  and  yearly  list  of  gifts 
from  my  brothers  and  sisters.  Perhaps  some  of  them 
thought  it  would  make  this  interesting  book  too  large. 
My  first  gift,  I  recollect,  was  a  little  wagon  made  by  a  Mr. 
Robinson,  our  schoolteacher,  who  boarded  with  us  when 
I  was  about  five  years  old.  The  wheels  were  sawed  off 
the  end  of  an  oak  log  of  the  right  size,  and  were  very  neatly 
painted  in  plum  brown,  with  red  and  light  blue  lines.  The 
stock  must  have  been  most  wisely  chosen  for  the  wagon 

204 


THANKSGIVING  AND  CHRISTMAS 


lasted  ten  years  and  stood  all  sorts  of  uses.  At  that  early 
period  I  was  not  a  pupil  in  Mr.  Robinson's  school,  but 
I  have  even  to-day  very  kind  and  appreciative  feelings 
towards  him.  I  recall  Willie  Cooper,  my  boyhood  playmate, 
and  our  going  to  the  pastures  and  pulling  the  wire  grass, 
with  which  our  pastures  abounded,  and  loading  it  in  the 
wagon  and  pulling  it  to  the  barn  as  father  did  the  hay. 
One  day  I  traded  the  little  wagon  with  Willie,  who  lived 
on  the  Annand  farm,  for  a  two-wheeled  cart,  because  he 
wanted  me  to,  and  I  remember  still  the  regret  of  parting 
with  it,  but  we  were  hauling  hay  together.  But  mother 
told  me  that  I  should  not  part  with  a  gift  so  I  got  the 
wagon  back. 

Just  before  Christmas  the  chickens,  swine  and  beeves 
were  killed  and  dressed,  and  their  lard,  fresh,  pure  and 
sweet,  was  made  ready  for  future  use.  Young  and  fatted 
beeves  had  come  to  the  corning  casks  for  preservation;  but, 
alas!  it  proved  to  be  of  short  duration  on  a  long,  well-seated 
table. 

The  rallying  point  for  Thanksgiving  and  Christmas 
was  the  wholesome  manufacture  of  cookies  and  twisi-cakes  or 
doughnuts.  Mother  was  chief  in  the  culinary  department, 
but  of  course  the  girls  did  the  rolling,  larding,  mixing,  twist- 
ing, cutting,  sweetening,  spicing  and  carrying  to  the  pans; 
but  for  crisping  and  frying  well-browned  while  hot  and 
dispensing  none  but  mother  could  hold  the  pans.  The 
younger  boys  helped  with  the  fires,  for  a  smart  heat  was 
needed.  For  every  armful  of  sticks  they  took  in,  out  went 
their  blistered  hands  filled  with  as  many  boiling  larded 
twisters.  Arthur  and  George  did  more  of  this  than  I.  I 
think  I  hinted  to  them  that  they  would  hear  of  this  again. 
They  were  larger  for  their  age  and  had  more  room,  and 
the  vacant  space  had  been  waiting  almost  a  year  and  was 

205 


HOME-MAKING  AND  ITS  PHILOSOPHY 


hard  to  fill.  In  fact  their  very  activities  at  these  special 
times  helped  much  to  work  them  down.  Mother's  supplies 
grew  less  as  the  days  went  by.  Her  Christmas  cakes  were 
gone.  At  last  our  sympathies  for  her  returned  and  for 
the  cakes  grew  less,  and  we  even  avoided  the  house  until 
the  winsome  odors  were  removed.  One  day  sufficed  to 
fill  the  lidded  chest  and  mother's  smile  came  back  as  the 
danger  passed.  The  cakes  were  always  eaten  hot,  and 
never  like  the  cold,  leaden  ones  of  to-day. 

Families  were  invited  in  or  out  for  Christmas,  and 
merrily  beat  our  hearts  with  the  music  of  the  sleigh  bells. 
The  large  Yule  log  was  not  forgotten  in  the  good  old  times 
of  the  brick  hearths.  The  preparation  for  Christmas  keep- 
ing was  delightfully  kept  in  view  weeks  ahead,  as  now. 
These  days  ran  by  all  too  quickly,  like  a  rippling  stream, 
and  left  but  little  drift  behind. 

We  were  good  entertainers  "in  the  old-time  way/' 
and  there  never  was  a  breath  of  scandal  repeated  in  the 
home.  We  would  rather  talk  about  some  historical  event 
in  which  all  the  parties  were  dead  and  could  not  inop- 
portunely appear.  We  had  a  pride  in  the  old  "Red  House" 
on  its  eminence,  because  it  was  a  house  for  being  happy 
in,  with  the  long  latchstring  out.  We  do  not  know  whether 
our  grandparents  had  a  house  warming  when  they  were 
married,  but  we  believe  it  was  "broken  in  happily"  to 
happy  home-making  at  the  start,  and  would  not  stand  for 
anything  else  thereafter.  We  stubbed  our  toes,  and  busied 
ourselves  with  blistered  hands,  and  had  our  aching  heads 
and  throbbing  brows,  or  fell  upon  the  rocks,  or  from  trees, 
or  into  the  river  or  the  brooks,  or  waded  in  the  swamps 
and  spoiled  our  clothes,  that  brought  its  double  punish- 
ment, as  our  neighbors'  children  did,  but  these  smarts  have 
all  healed,  the  pain  is  gone,  and  we  recollect  them  no 

206 


THANKSGIVING  AND  CHRISTMAS 


longer.  Somehow  we  remember  the  good  done,  and  surely 
that  is  enough. 

We  wanted  things  other  people  had,  but  somehow  we 
carried  within  us  a  check  against  extravagance.  One  year 
we  thought  the  farmhouse  would  look  better  clothed  in 
white  paint,  but  father  said  it  would  cost  too  much  to  hide 
the  redness  of  the  house,  and  all  agreed.  Then  whitewash 
it,  and  we  did,  with  an  adhesive  substance  put  in  to  make 
it  stick,  and  we  stuck  the  house  on  all  its  sides  and  roof, 
and  the  piggery  too,  as  well  as  the  garden  fences  and 
board  fences  along  the  highway  in  our  sight.  We  had  the 
whitest  farm  in  all  the  countryside  for  miles.  It  was  de- 
lightfully white  while  it  lasted,  and  it  lasted  well.  Some 
things  outgrew  it,  such  as  the  grass,  the  leaves  of  shrub- 
beries, which  we  had  dotted  with  our  whiteness.  White 
and  green  and  green  and  white  were  matched  and  grew 
together,  and  we  got  our  money's  worth  in  fuller  feeling 
with  the  family.  Our  labor  was  paid  for  in  delight,  and 
this  was  better  pay  than  the  coin  Tom  Sawyer  received. 
We  were  like  moving  pictures  on  the  whited  screen.  The 
"Red  House,,  went  visiting  and  came  back  by  and  by  im- 
proved we  thought  again. 

As  I  think  of  days  and  years  so  full  I  cannot  write  it 
fast  enough  to  tell  you  of  the  valuable  inheritance  our 
parents  gave  us,  and  this  should  quicken  us  to  transmit 
the  same  in  fuller  measure  to  those  who  follow  us.  The 
good  men  do  lives  after  them.  The  soul  will  not  age  in  a 
hundred  years.  There  are  activities  in  us — currents  that 
keep  us  young.  "A  good  man  leaveth  an  inheritance  to 
his  children's  children. " 

In  the  old-time  home  the  festive  evenings  were  rung  out 
by  father's  Yankee  clock,  from  Connecticut,  that  cost  us 
seven  pounds  sterling.    There  were  times  we  did  not  hear 

207 


HOME-MAKING  AND  ITS  PHILOSOPHY 


it  tick,  and  then  again  it  ticked  too  loud,  but  now  its  tick 
is  still.  We  have  its  frame  but  not  its  sound.  Its  life  is 
gone — worn  out,  but  then  at  its  command  we  went  upstairs 
to  bed. 

Two  pictures  hung  upon  our  bedroom  wall,  which 
mother  had  papered  for  us.  She  liked  this  room  that 
overlooked  the  garden  orchard  in  the  west.  The  eastern 
end  looked  towards  the  barns,  right  past  the  poplars  and  the 
willows.  Here  were  rows  of  bins  for  grain  under  the  eaves 
and  squeaking  mice  our  cat  could  not  catch.  She  caught 
too  many  birds  outdoors  when  she  should  have  been  in, 
and  the  mice  were  left  to  grow  for  winter  and  for  grain. 

In  a  snapping  windy  night  we  had  mental  pictures, 
aided  by  the  swaying,  talking  trees  contracting  with  the  frost, 
or  brushing  the  shingles  in  their  wind  swings,  or  crooning 
the  oldest  woodland  songs  the  world  knows  of.  We  heard 
low,  mysterious  notes,  attuned  to  the  robust  breeze,  which 
at  last  lulled  us  to  sleep  in  our  garret  beds,  a  sort  of  nature's 
lullaby  melody  calming  our  nerve-bound  bodies  and  sooth- 
ing us  away  to  a  happy  dreamland,  where  twist-cakes  hung 
from  low-hanging  boughs  in  millions. 


208 


CHAPTER  XXXII 


OUR  FATHER'S  DEATH 

HOW  beautiful  the  Christ  spirit  breathed  around 
Christmas,  the  week  day  of  all  the  year  the  best; 
yet  it  was  on  Christmas  morning,  i860,  that  father 
died.  He  lingered  for  many  months,  weakening  with 
pain,  but  strengthening  with  his  Saviour.  We  recall  the 
times  and  the  calls  to  his  bedside  to  ask  him  some  questions 
about  the  work  of  the  farm.  After  the  settlement  of  his 
business  I  thought  I  noticed  a  changing  tone  of  interest. 
But  he  was  ever  the  same  father,  kind,  thoughtfully  kind, 
for  he  knew  he  would  soon  leave  us  in  the  air  of  the  sentient 
things,  and  we  alone  could  but  grope  among  the  thorns 
and  prickly  briers  of  the  world.  His  thoughtful  tender- 
ness is  remembered  as  we  noticed  his  strength  growing 
less.  We  surrounded  mother  with  our  help,  however  little 
it  might  be,  but  a  willing  hand  begets  a  silent  hope. 

Father  had  taught  us  ownership  of  stock  and  its  care 
and  management.  W7e  never  heard  a  boasting  word  from 
him,  or  "smartness,"  nor  did  he  allow  it  in  us.  If  we  have 
learned  it,  it  is  since  his  death.  "Don't  disparage  others, 
or  compare  abilities  aloud."  When  we  heard  the  praise 
of  others  outside,  it  was  taken  at  its  face.  In  a  deeper 
sense  there  was  a  feeling  that  our  parents  were  on  a  more 
certain  plane  and  level  to  bring  successful  living  than  many 
others.    This  wisdom  counts. 

Father  lived  instinctively  on  the  high  ranges  of  thought 
and  conduct.  His  interests  were  in  the  finer  aspects  of 
personal  home  character,  and  the  note  of  hope  which  sounded 
in  his  life  and  work  was  an  expression  of  his  deep  faith 
in  the  spiritual  nature  of  humanity  and  the  moral  order  of 
the  universe.    He  touched  with  a  delicate  and  sensitive 

209 


HOME-MAKING  AND  ITS  PHILOSOPHY 


hand  the  higher  and  sweeter  fellowship  of  life.  His  steady 
purpose  was  to  live  outwardly  what  he  experienced  in  the 
inner  life.  In  this  he  was  an  idealist.  Infidelity  of  every 
kind  was  abhorrent  to  him,  and  the  purpose  for  citizenship 
was  deep  and  vital  in  his  nature.  A  life  of  beautiful  sincerity 
and  humble  service  has  gone  out  in  the  brightness  of  a 
stainless  reputation  in  the  glow  of  friendliness  as  widely 
as  he  was  known. 

We  were  summoned  to  his  room  at  the  very  dawn  of 
the  morning,  to  receive  father's  last  farewell.  I  carried 
baby  Anna  and  Sarah  into  the  back  room,  and  I  think  he 
had  a  word  for  each.  His  hopes  and  confidence  were 
stronger  than  any  left  in  us.  Mother  could  not  speak 
to  us,  and  we  stood  about  with  a  child's  feeling  of  tearful 
separation.  Relatives,  neighbors,  friends  from  far  and 
near,  came  to  pay  their  last  tribute  to  an  honest  man, 
esteemed  a  faithful  counsellor  and  friend,  and  so  we  buried 
father  in  the  cloudiest  day  of  our  lives. 

Sister  Emily  says:  "I  was  twelve  years  old  when  father 
died.  In  the  careless,  happy  days  of  childhood  the  better 
things  sink  deep  into  the  memory — too  deep  for  utterance 
these  impressions  stand  of  father's  nobleness  and  goodness. 
I  do  not  recall  his  ever  omitting  family  worship,  at  the 
beginning  and  close  of  each  day.  We  children  took  turns 
in  passing  around  the  Bibles  and  gathering  them.  He 
used  to  say  praying  caused  one  to  leave  off  sinning  or  sinning 
continued  to  leave  off  praying. 

"  Each  Sabbath  we  were  required,  like  Ruskin  and  his 
mother,  to  memorize  verses  of  Scripture,  also  a  hymn,  and 
answer  questions  from  the  catechism,  seated  in  a  semi- 
circle around  him,  and  every  syllable  was  to  be  repeated 
accurately.  He  was  a  regular  attendant  at  church  services, 
and  when  the  children  were  old  enough  to  remember  the 

210 


OUR  FATHER'S  DEATH 


text,  they  were  required  to  repeat  it  at  the  dinner-table. 
We  were  taught  to  read  a  short  story  after  dinner  and  relate 
it  in  our  own  language.  Father  wrote  a  pretty  hand.  He 
had  a  large  leather-covered  book  in  which  the  turns'  he 
worked  in  school  were  written  and  tastefully  set  down.  I 
often  turned  the  pages,  admiring  them.  We  had  many 
books  for  those  days.  He  bought  the  book,  'How  to  Be 
a  Lady,'  and  wrote  his  name  and  mine  on  the  fly-leaf  and 
gave  it  to  me.  On  the  last  night  that  father  lived  he  asked 
for  me  and  I  went  to  him,  where  in  a  whisper  he  told  me 
of  his  provisions  for  my  education,  and  urged  me  to  be 
sure  to  meet  him  in  Heaven,  and  then  came  the  last 
farewell." 

"The  wilderness  and  the  solitary  place  shall  be  glad; 
and  the  desert  shall  rejoice  and  blossom  as  the  rose.  It 
shall  blossom  abundantly  and  rejoice,  even  with  joy  and 
singing." 

Faithful  in  life  and  faithful  in  death, 

Such  souls,  in  sooth,  illumine  with  lustre  splendid, 

That  glimpsed  glad  land  within,  the  Vision  saith, 
Earth's  wrongs  are  ended. 

Fifty  years  have  rolled  away  since  the  two  heads  of 
this  double  homestead  left  this  life,  almost  together.  In 
their  children  exists  a  unity  of  belief  in  the  Immortal  Life, 
and  it  rests  on  two  elements:  the  issues  of  their  teachings 
and  the  influences  of  their  lives.  These  have  steadied 
in  us  the  truths  embodied  in  Christianity,  and  the  incontro- 
vertible argument  which  holds  us  fast  was  their  breathing 
into  us  the  motives  and  spirit  of  their  lives.  Their  tone 
of  life  lends  us  still  a  powerful  uplift.  Moreover  we  can- 
not think  of  them  as  not  existing  in  another  world,  conscious 
of  our  every  moment,  and  this  bequeathment  has  never 
left  us.    It  is  a  valuable  factor  in  sustaining  our  everyday 

211 


HOME-MAKING  AND  ITS  PHILOSOPHY 


life.  It  has  carried  a  strong  conviction  on  which  we  have 
based  our  faith  in  the  wisdom  and  goodness  of  God  ever 
since  their  death.  Their  standards  of  living  always  seemed 
to  us  to  belong  to  a  higher  existence  and  do  so  still.  With 
mother  and  grandmother,  who  breathed  their  half  of  home 
life  in  motives  and  performances,  their  spirits  seemed  to 
open  the  gateways  to  Heaven,  and  to  give  us  a  glimpse  of 
the  beautiful  life  beyond.  It  is  what  they  really  did  for  us 
that  has  lasted  so  well.  Because  we  fully  believe  in  the 
evidences  they  are  proof  of  their  reality  with  them.  We 
were  taught  to  thirst  for  the  infinite,  and  we  are  athirst 
now.  We  sip  at  a  rivulet  or  a  fountain  but  have  never 
been  filled.  The  humming  birds  get  from  the  flower  foun- 
tain the  least  honey  drop  at  a  time  that  livens  the  relish  for 
more.  This  way  of  God's  gives  sweet  spells  along  the 
way  and  kindles  the  passion  for  more  of  the  higher  life. 
It  enables  us  to  make  our  own  music  to  cheer  the  way  with 
courage  and  gladness.  As  we  grow  older  this  feeling  is 
stronger,  with  a  desire  for  more  days  to  add  grace  to  strength. 

Grandmother  died  the  following  year,  in  1861,  in  her 
own  home.  She  felt  father's  death  very  much  and  she 
would  say,  "Dear  Wallace,  how  I  miss  him,"  and  weep. 
It  seemed  to  change  her  very  much,  and  no  doubt  she  felt 
she  might  be  the  next.  She  was  born  in  Edinburgh,  Scot- 
land, May  26,  1777.  Her  father's  name  was  James  Dech- 
man,  born  in  Edinburgh,  1742,  and  married  there  Decem- 
ber 17,  1769.  There  were  ten  children  in  this  family;  two 
of  these  children  were  born  in  Edinburgh,  of  whom  grand- 
mother was  one,  and  the  eight  younger  ones  were  born  after 
the  family  removed  to  Halifax,  Nova  Scotia.  Her  father, 
James,  died  at  Halifax  at  the  age  of  eighty-seven  years,  a 
man  respected  in  life  and  honored  in  death.  Two  of  her 
family  lived  in  the  Settlement,  Uncle  John  Dechman,  pre- 


OUR  FATHER'S  DEATH 


centor  in  the  church,  and  Mrs.  Welwood  Reynolds,  and 
they  often  saw  each  other  in  their  homes. 

It  was  in  1825  that  the  Presbyterian  Church  at  Lunen- 
burg was  remodeled,  and  it  was  grandmother's  brother 
who  was  the  architect,  then  residing  in  Halifax.  Grand- 
mother was  full  of  good-will  and  good  works  all  the  days 
of  her  life,  and  lived  in  the  supreme  affections  of  her  family. 
We  children  were  unusually  fortunate  in  the  sunshine  of 
two  homes  such  as  these.  At  this  hour  I  am  not  sensible 
of  any  difference  in  our  affections  for  them.  There  was 
little  difference  between  the  two  generations  in  love  for 
the  same  children  or  grandchildren.  We  missed  grand- 
mother's early  calls  as  we  were  finishing  breakfast  or  dinner. 
There  she  met  us  all  together,  and  we  expected  her — if 
she  did  not  appear,  some  one  was  sent  to  see  the  cause  of 
her  absence.  "Be  thou  faithful  unto  death  and  I  will 
give  thee  a  crown  of  life." 

Shadows,  no  need  of  shadows, 

When  at  last  we  lay  life's  burden  down. 

Shadows,  no  need  of  shadows, 

When  at  last  we  gain  the  victor's  crown. 

Their  granddaughter  Anna  having  gone  to  the  Normal 
School  some  time  before,  and  the  house  now  being  closed, 
grandfather  came  to  live  with  mother.  I  sometimes  wonder 
what  all  his  thoughts  and  feelings  must  have  been,  an  old 
man  on  the  tender  mercies  of  others,  leaving  the  old  fireside 
and  table  they  had  enjoyed  so  quietly  and  happily  together. 
Some  of  his  children  had  gone  across,  with  others  far 
away. 

Mother  was  very  thoughtful  of  his  feelings  and  attentive 
to  his  wants.  All  the  years  of  our  childhood  he  came  into 
the  hayfields  at  nine,  and  went  to  dinner  at  eleven,  and 
then  two  hours  with  the  hand  rake  in  the  afternoon.  Usually 

213 


HOME-MAKING  AND  ITS  PHILOSOPHY 


in  the  morning  he  pitched  off  the  load  of  hay  that  had  stood 
over  night.  He  watered  the  stock,  and  fitted  the  stable 
for  them,  and  fed  them  methodically  as  he  did  so  interest- 
edly all  his  life. 

After  father's  death  we  boys  were  almost  stranded  in 
the  planning  of  the  work.  At  first  it  seemed  we  could  not 
do  it,  and  we  told  mother  so.  We  knew  she  never  inter- 
fered with  farming  plans,  but  she  knew  more  than  she  said, 
and  she  asked  us  what  work  needed  doing  most.  We 
went  over  many  things  and  with  her  assistance  sifted  out 
the  ones  in  greatest  need,  and  thus  we  learned.  We  made 
mistakes  for  want  of  balancing  the  work  and  time  in  its 
relations,  and  saw  it  later.  She  put  a  thrill  of  hope  in  us, 
"that  we  would  be  masters."  This  talk  with  mother  was 
good  for  her  and  good  for  us. 

The  tone  of  our  home  was  one  of  fullness  in  belief  in  the 
loving  help  of  God  for  her  and  for  all  who  asked  His  help. 
We  wish  to  lay  emphasis  on  this  fact,  because  sixty  years 
later  this  loving  character  of  God  and  Christ  we  were  taught 
then,  as  transcending  the  sterner  qualities  of  the  Deity  so 
generally  held  by  the  Christians  of  that  day,  is  at  the  present 
day  the  teaching  of  the  universal  church.  This  is  con- 
clusive proof  that  our  parents  were  in  advance  or  fully 
abreast  of  the  times  in  which  they  lived.  Here  we  well 
may  ask  the  reasons.  They  lived  from  hour  to  hour  in 
listening,  trusting  attitude  for  guidance  and  for  judgment. 
What  is  born  within  the  life  and  kept  alive  by  supernal 
substance,  supplies  the  truths  and  knowledge  in  experi- 
mental life  and  strengthens  it  for  greater  surety.  Father's 
well-known  saying  was,  "Well,  we  did  it  for  the  best," 
and  so  he  lived.  The  very  shake  of  their  hands  was  eloquent 
to  the  touch.  "His  hand  shall  uphold  me."  A  few  months 
later  grandfather  had  a  paralytic  stroke  and  Uncle  Samuel 

214 


OUR  FATHER'S  DEATH 


came  to  move  him  on  his  bed.  A  few  weeks  later  a  second 
stroke  followed,  but  his  mind  was  clear  and  he  knew  the 
end  was  near.  He  gave  his  thanks  to  mother  for  all  her 
thoughtfulness,  for  mother  was  his  favorite,  as  for  many 
years  her  life  was  lived  with  them.  His  trust  and  belief 
failed  not,  and  thus  he  died,  held  in  highest  respect- 
"Whom  have  I  in  Heaven  but  thee?"  "I  will  set  in  the 
desert  the  fir  tree,  the  pine  and  the  box  tree  together. 
That  they  may  see  and  knovv,  and  consider  and  understand 
together,  that  the  hand  of  the  Lord  hath  done  this." 

The  struggles  and  trials  really  fell  too  heavily  upon 
mother,  because  the  children  did  not  have  the  age  or  ex- 
perience to  relieve  her  of  the  burden.  They  were  all  willing 
to  do,  but  needed  leading,  and  seemingly  could  not  do 
without  the  inspiring  presence  of  one  who  could  go  ahead. 

As  I  look  backward  I  wonder  at  myself  how  I  could 
have  been  so  immature  in  judgment.  I  carried  my  boy- 
hood qualities  far  beyond  the  average  age,  and  relinquished 
them  very  slowly.  Therefore  mother  found  it  necessary 
to  look  after  every  little  thing,  and  yet  we  were  happy  in 
our  careless,  happy-going  ways. 

She  was  resolved  to  keep  all  the  family  together  and 
educate  them  for  some  calling  whereby  they  could  earn  a 
respectable  living  and  keep  out  of  debt.  I  know  mother 
used  to  feel  and  say  to  us  that  there  was  little  in  the  Bible 
about  Jesus'  parental  home,  for  she  would  like  our  home 
to  be  patterned  after  it.  But  we  know  she  did  her  best 
to  have  us  fill  in  the  harmonies. 

As  a  teacher  mother  had  the  innate  faculty  of  looking 
into  the  depths  of  child  nature,  and  she  sought  to  unfold 
the  child's  life  in  the  way  his  nature  suggested.  Her  faculty 
in  thus  transforming  her  children  reached  the  nature  of 
each  one,  and  all  to-day  feel  her  power  in  this.  Mother 

215 


HOME-MAKING  AND  ITS  PHILOSOPHY 


got  below  the  limit  of  the  senses  in  quest  for  a  nature  to 
assimilate  truth,  and  she  had  a  sweet  way  of  pouring  in 
interesting  thoughts  to  awaken  more. 

I  was  at  an  age  to  be  wilful  and  wayward  more  than 
the  rest,  but  would  melt  to  contrition  under  mother's  kind, 
loving  words.  She  was  firm,  but  truly  kind,  and  had  the 
faculty  of  disclosing  opening  life  and  its  meaning,  and  had 
the  courage  to  say  those  things  which  should  be  said.  We 
were  held  magnetically. 

When  Jesus  referred  to  the  subject  of  the  affections  to 
the  rich  young  man,  He  put  the  search  for  truth  in  a  thinking 
way  freed  from  irritation,  which  caused  him  to  stop  and 
think.  Doubt  now  arose  as  to  the  principles  of  his  former 
life.  This  gave  the  purer  ideals  rein  and  room  for  expres- 
sion. Mother  strove  to  aid  us  in  gaining  thinking  power 
and  its  habits.  Our  nature  needs  stimulating  to  go  for- 
ward into  the  soul's  natural  air.  The  thoughtless  soul 
cannot  advance  or  grow. 

The  year  following  father's  death  we  steadily  grew 
anxious  to  manage  the  farm  to  advantage  and  save  as  much 
as  we  could.  A  student  from  the  States  was  out  on  his 
college  vacation  selling  books.  In  the  afternoon,  near 
four  o'clock,  he  called  at  our  house  soliciting  sales.  When 
we  came  in  to  tea  he  was  sitting  in  the  parlor,  for  mother 
had  invited  him  to  stay  to  tea,  as  was  the  custom  with 
strangers  calling  near  the  hour.  He  was  gentlemanly  and 
agreeable. 

After  tea  mother  showed  me  the  two  books  he  was 
selling  and  asked  how  I  liked  them.  The  prices  were 
about  four  dollars  each.  I  rather  demurred  at  the  expense, 
but  mother  seemed  to  be  canvassing  me,  though  I  did  not 
know  anything  about  such  things  then.  One  was  "The 
Life  of  Washington,"  with  his  large  steel  portrait,  standing, 

216 


A  CHARACTER  STUDY 
Jesus,  the  Christ,  Taking  Leave  of  His  Mother. 


OUR  FATHER'S  DEATH 


given  as  a  premium.  I  said  we  could  not  afford  it  now. 
But  she  said  she  had  a  large  frame  with  glass  the  size  of 
the  picture,  and  the  book  was  for  me  if  I  would  like  it. 
The  last  point  touched  me.  She  gave  the  young  gentleman 
the  order,  and  as  he  shook  hands  with  her  in  leaving,  he 
seemed  to  be  pleased  with  his  stay.  We  read  the  book 
several  times  and  have  it  still,  and  the  framed  picture  of 
Washington  hanging  on  the  wall  in  the  same  frame  mother 
put  it  in  forty-eight  years  ago.  My  sister  Emily  has  the 
picture  now.  The  whole  incident  was  good,  the  pleasant 
young  man  spreading  information  leading  to  knowledge? 
and  mother's  wisdom  in  bringing  her  children  in  touch 
with  young  gentlemen  from  abroad.  Mother  did  more, 
for  she  was  cultivating  a  love  in  us  for  things  above  sordid 
and  soul-shrivelling  commercialism,  and  it  was  being  done 
at  the  right  time  of  life.  How  much  we  need  the  influence 
of  others  to  help  us  live  up  to  our  opportunities!  The 
atmosphere  the  soul  breathes  should  balance  the  life.  Our 
effort  should  not  end  where  others  stop.  Our  love  for  the 
divine  will  grow  fastest  while  in  the  quest  of  truth.  The 
effort  of  seeking  is  a  pleasure  and  we  found  it  so.  We  see 
her  greater  wisdom  now  and  realize  she  was  thinking  of 
her  living  family  and  the  double  task  imposed  upon  her. 

Mother  had  much  of  both  love  and  sorrow,  disappoint- 
ment and  grief.  She  found  relief  and  healing  in  fine  and 
delicate  ways  with  her  children,  which  perhaps  were  not 
thought  of  before.  Children  in  play  easily  follow  the 
happier  ideals,  but  in  grief  or  pain  go  to  mother  for  relief. 
We  had  three  baby  brothers  in  the  Spirit-land.  She  often, 
thought  of  them  after  father's  death,  and  we  listened  as 
she  would  bind  the  two  worlds  together  and  bridge  the 
crossing.  There  were  not  many  words  in  all  this  influence. 
Christ  met  her  growing  ideals  with  His  omnipotent  strength. 

217 


HOME-MAKING  AND  ITS  PHILOSOPHY 


Her  bodily  strength  might  fail,  as  it  did  so  many  times, 
but  we  never  felt  that  her  full  dependence  on  God  failed 
her.  I  am  strongly  of  the  opinion  she  realized  she  had 
angel  friends,  ministering  spirits,  under  divine  appoint- 
ments, more  than  most  of  us  dream  of.  These  angel  spirits 
cannot  be  forgotten.  They  were  not  forgotten  in  the  home 
of  their  birth.  Ties  of  blood  unite  the  two  worlds.  This 
seems  to  be  the  Christmas  message  father  left  with  us 
fifty  years  ago. 

The  acre  of  young  orchard  and  garden  was  hedged  on 
the  north  by  a  row  of  spruces.  It  was  a  very  rich  spot, 
planted  every  two  years  alternately  in  roots  and  clover. 
The  mangels  were  the  largest  size  and  our  pride  expanded 
in  them.  But  the  red  and  white  clover  and  tall  timothy, 
with  a  sprinkling  of  delicious  alsike,  was  hard  to  equal. 
In  full  bloom  we  often  lost  our  breaths  in  their  sweetness, 
for  it  was  a  big  posy  garden  for  a  few  weeks  and  a  pure 
atmosphere  of  heavy  fragrance.  It  was  father's  practice 
to  turn  under  in  the  big  hayfield  two  to  three  acres  of  sod 
each  year  to  renew  it,  It  was  a  rich  repast  to  us  to  see 
the  cows  wade  into  it  in  September  for  life  and  a  double 
flow  of  milk  and  yellow  cream,  which  it  was  our  privilege 
and  pleasure  to  dash  into  mother's  sweet,  gilt-edged  butter 
for  her. 

It  was  father's  practice  to  plan  his  work  the  evening 
before,  and  I  often  asked  him  what  would  he  do  to-morrow. 
This  habit  of  thinking  about  the  work  beforehand  has 
been  of  great  benefit  to  us,  for  second  thought  in  the  morn- 
ing is  likely  to  rightly  decide  it.  We  made  some  mistakes 
as  the  result  of  mental  pictures  of  change  and  benefits 
overrated,  but  we  gained  by  experience  clearness  in  judg- 
ment, even  if  we  lost  in  cash.  Every  one  of  us  was  full  of 
energy  and  overflowing  with  industry,  which  we  believed 

218 


OUR  FATHER'S  DEATH 


then  to  be  a  sacred  duty,  as  to-day  it  is  an  absolute  neces- 
sity and  a  virtue. 

I  remember  exchanging  a  pair  of  unbroken  steers  for 
a  pair  of  working  oxen  with  a  neighbor,  and  I  did  not  wish 
to  pay  too  much  as  a  difference  in  value.  I  thought  it 
over  long,  and  we  exchanged.  I  brought  the  oxen  home 
in  the  evening.  Mother  had  gone  to  bed  in  her  room  off 
the  sitting-room.  I  told  her  all  about  the  matter  as  I  saw 
it,  and  I  was  very  attentive  to  every  remark  she  made  to 
catch  her  every  thought,  and  I  seemed  to  gather  confidence 
in  myself  that  I  had  done  fairly  well  and  held  my  own. 
I  felt  her  helping  power  then  as  guide  in  this,  and  this  con- 
fidence in  her  judgment  and  wisdom  never  weakened  but 
strengthened  with  the  years.  I  hardly  know  how  she 
succeeded  in  gaining  such  a  grip  on  affairs.  She  never 
interfered  with  our  freedom  in  farm  affairs,  and  yet  she 
seemed  to  know  and  enjoy  the  knowledge  without  much 
talk.  It  helped  us  greatly  to  have  so  capable  a  mother 
when  most  we  needed  it. 

The  meals  were  always  ready  in  time,  and  with  little 
things  to  tempt  the  youthful  appetites,  which  helped  to 
keep  us  in  obedience  to  her  many  thoughtful  wishes.  Many 
drives  we  had  towards  evening  on  a  summer's  day.  I  love 
now  to  recall  them.  It  seemed  to  rest  and  refresh  her  as 
no.thing  else  would  do.  She  naturally  was  cheerful,  and 
of  the  kind  that  was  infectious  and  left  us  in  better  spirits 
than  before.  Our  friends  and  neighbors  were  always 
kind  to  her  and  called  so  often  that  they  called  again,  and 
this  made  people  feel  that  life  is  still  worth  living.  I  know 
she  did  much  of  this  for  our  sakes,  but  that  is  just  what 
mothers  do. 

Mother  believed  in  enjoying  life  as  we  went  along,  and 
each  day  vvas  planned  to  get  our  quota  of  enjoyment.  Her 

219 


HOME-MAKING  AND  ITS  PHILOSOPHY 


bereavements  bore  her  life  and  soul  closer  to  God.  She 
seemed  to  us  to  live  midway  between  her  friends  in  Heaven 
and  those  of  earth.  The  friendship  of  kindred  and  people 
did  not  reach  the  seat  of  her  sorrows.  She  believed  in 
God  as  her  helper,  and  He  planted  peace  in  her  soul.  I 
have  heard  her  say  it  was  not  like  human  joy  which  had 
its  changes.  She  felt  this  to  be  different  in  essence.  The 
friendship  of  the  unchristian  world  does  not  mean  eternity 
with  God.  The  friendship  of  Christians  opens  the  way 
to  closer  communion  with  God. 

There  was  a  brilliance  and  warmth  like  summer  showers 
in  all  she  did  and  said  to  us.  No  doubt  her  many  struggles 
had  sobered  her  life,  but  cast  no  gloom  on  others.  She 
seemed  to  us  to  live  in  the  strength  of  two  worlds.  In  her 
later  years  she  had  a  cough  and  weakness  of  the  lungs, 
but  her  spirit  and  vitality  wondrously  sustained  her.  The 
pathway  of  our  lives  was  not  smooth  but  there  was  a 
profound  belief  that  we  had  something  to  do  and  that  we 
should  get  to  work  and  do  it  with  determination.  But 
the  secret  lay  in  doing  cheerfully  the  hardest  as  well  as 
the  easiest  task.  The  gales  of  life  are  trying,  but  the  sun- 
shine never  failed  to  come  again. 

The  serenity  of  the  heads  of  the  home  makes  life's 
harshness  break  musically  within  its  confines.  Mother's 
rocking-chair,  which  had  been  grandmother's  and  is  now 
\n  Emily's  use,  was  the  seat  of  life's  philosophy  in  which 
to  rest  and  recover  poise.  Suffering  had  silvered  some- 
what her  hair,  but  did  not  disturb  her  serenity. 

If  a  task  was  given  us  and  we  thought  we  could  not 
do  it  she  would  say:  "I  think  you  can  do  it,"  or  "Yes, 
you  can  do  it,"  and  we  did  it.  We  were  not  allowed  to  ask 
one  another  to  do  that  which  we  ourselves  were  told  to  do. 
She  was  honored  by  her  husband,  beloved  by  her  friends, 

220 


OUR  FATHER'S  DEATH 


admired  by  her  acquaintances.  In  her  first  and  last  days 
of  motherhood  she  was  the  same  genuine  woman,  the  same 
noble  mother.  The  rich  meadows  of  her  heart  kept  life's 
affections  still  green.  Other  persons  may  disappoint  us 
and  shake  our  faith  in  woman,  but  her  life  was  laden  with 
rich  and  orderly  ideas,  based  upon  Bible  truths.  She  did 
not  live  in  what  she  did  not  like,  or  in  her  antipathies,  but 
in  the  abounding  strength  and  life  of  what  is  pure  and  wise. 

Have  we  lived  the  same  ideals  ?  Parents  must  answer 
for  themselves.  Fictitious  life  in  the  home  leads  men 
astray  and  ruins  homes;  but  zeal  for  God,  with  ordinary 
gifts,  will  adorn  the  place  we  are  appointed  to  fill.  We 
cannot  grow  the  beautiful  Gravensteins  on  a  crab  apple 
tree.  The  best  spiritual  gifts  come  to  those  who  climb 
ascents  which  God  approves. 

The  heights  by  great  men  reached  and  kept, 

Were  not  attained  by  sudden  flight: 
But  they,  while  their  companions  slept, 

Were  toiling  upward  in  the  night. 


221 


BOOK  TWO 
THE  CIVIL  WAR 


A  CAVALRY  SOLDIER  BOY 
William  Charles  Archibald  at  Twenty-one 


CHAPTER  I 


THE  CIVIL  WAR 

IT  was  in  September,  1863,  I  was  twenty-one  years 
of  age.  We  boys  rushed  the  work  along,  for  we  had 
plans  we  long  had  talked  of.  Back  at  the  little 
woods  we  were  to  plow  about  four  acres  of  rough  land 
for  oats  next  year.  George  was  not  quite  stout  enough 
at  thirteen  to  hold  the  plough,  but  he  could  drive  the  team, 
while  I  could  hold  the  plough.  When  this  was  finished 
I  was  to  leave  for  Portland,  Maine,  upon  the  steamer  "  Em- 
press," embarking  at  Windsor.  Dear  mother  went  with 
me  to  the  station  but  was  to  drive  home  alone. 

She  was  filled  with  hopes  and  fears  for  her  boy,  and  so 
was  I  in  a  lighter  way,  going  for  the  first  time  from  home 
to  be  among  strangers.  It  seems  strange  to  me  now  that 
I  remember  so  little  of  this  drive  with  her.  In  her  first 
letter  to  me  she  said  she  was  very  lonely  on  her  way  home 
and  afterwards.  I  reached  the  "Empress"  by  train,  and 
was  soon  on  board  with  my  valise  and  the  steamer  sailed. 
A  storm  was  brewing  and  before  we  were  in  the  outer  Bay 
of  Fundy  I  lay  down,  as  I  thought,  to  die.  But  fate  would 
have  it  otherwise,  and  landed  me  at  Portland  much  the 
worse  for  wear.  The  city  itself  seemed  to  rock  like  the 
ocean  billows,  and  I  thought  it  strange  that  the  buildings 
did  not  tumble  down,  but  stood  so  firm,  as  I  passed  the 
streets  to  my  Uncle  George's.  It  was  not  till  after  one 
night's  sleep  that  the  city  gained  a  steady  poise.  I  had  a 
welcome  here  and  many  questions  were  asked.  I  reminded 
them  of  the  night  they  came  to  us  and  stayed  while  on  their 
way  to  Portland  in  June,  1849.  ^n  a  letter  of  that  date 
to  his  father  my  uncle  wrote: 

"We  are  in  a  city  of  twenty  thousand  people,  and  are  in 

225 


HOME-MAKING  AND  ITS  PHILOSOPHY 


a  comfortable  home  and  like  the  situation.  Dear  father 
and  mother,  I  often  think  about  you  since  I  left.  Life  is 
uncertain,  and  if  we  should  never  meet  again  in  this  world 
I  hope  and  pray  we  may  meet  in  the  world  above.  Father, 
be  sure  and  write  soon.  Give  my  love  to  all  my  brothers 
and  sisters.  Your  affectionate  son, 

George  Washington  Archibald/' 

I  went  to  work  upon  a  farm  at  Cape  Elizabeth,  where 
there  were  kind  and  pleasant  people  but  no  children.  The 
days  were  shortening  in  Nova  Scotia  before  I  left,  but  here 
they  seemed  suddenly  to  lengthen.  The  sun  refused  to 
circle  around.  The  evenings  were  long  enough  in  all 
conscience,  and  I  could  not  tell  the  cause.  I  could  not 
write  in  such  a  mist,  or  work  in  such  a  spirit,  and  I  think 
the  farmer  thought  so  too.  So  after  nine  long  days  and 
endless  nights  I  asked  the  farmer  if  he  would  let  me  go, 
and  he  readily  consented;  and  so  I  came  again  to  Portland 
where  the  children  were,  and  soon  was  well  again.  I  had 
five  dollars  left  after  landing  and  this  I  sent  to  mother. 

After  Christmas  I  went  to  Oxford  to  drive  a  team  for 
Mr.  King.  The  war  was  raging,  men  were  scarce,  and 
wages  were  good.  In  the  last  week  of  January  a  recruiting 
officer  came  to  us  for  volunteers,  offering  bounty.  Two 
of  our  men  promised  to  go  but  I  declined.  When  their  date 
of  going  came  they  backed  down  and  would  not  go.  I 
then  said,  "I've  been  thinking  1  would  go,  for  I  have  thought 
the  matter  over,"  so  I  went  to  Portland  and  enlisted  as  a 
volunteer  private  in  the  First  District  of  Columbia  Cavalry, 
February  2,  1864.  This  was  a  single  battalion  known 
as  "Baker's  Mounted  Rangers."  At  this  time  eight  com- 
panies were  enrolled.  Our  companies  were  mustered 
into  service  at  Augusta,  Maine,  on  February  8,  where  we 
camped  in  civilian  clothes  but  did  no  special  duty.  We 

226 


THE  CIVIL  WAR 


were  ordered  to  entrain  for  Washington,  D.  C.  This 
order  promised  novelty,  and  any  change  was  preferable 
to  doing  nothing  and  not  knowing  when  we  would  see 
service. 

I  wrote  to  mother  once  a  week  or  oftener.  All  the  men 
had  been  paid  their  share  of  bounty  and  had  left  some 
money  with  their  friends.  I  sent  my  mother  one  hundred 
dollars  and  also  bought  for  shipment  to  her  direct  to  Mait- 
land,  Hants,  Nova  Scotia:  nine  barrels  flour  at  cost  of 
$108;  one  barrel  sugar,  $25;  one  Singer  sewing  machine, 
$60;  one  wringer,  $15. 

At  this  time  we  in  Nova  Scotia  were  using  American 
flour  altogether.  The  prices  are  given  to  show  their  cost 
in  war  times. 

The  boys  had  lots  of  money  on  the  train,  and  at  every 
stopping  place  cakes,  pies,  turnovers,  etc.,  came  aboard 
galore;  and  still  the  heavy  train  rolled  on.  The  scenes 
and  cities  all  were  new.  After  passing  Jersey  City  the 
temperature  grew  warmer,  and  there  were  signs  of  coming 
spring.  I  do  not  think  there  was  a  man  on  board  but 
welcomed  the  going.  After  days  and  sleepless  nights  on 
crowded  cars  Baltimore  was  reached,  and  then  the  Relay 
House,  where  a  skirmish  between  the  advancing  troops  and 
armed  Rebel  sympathizers  had  taken  place,  which  warmed 
the  blood  a  little  of  some  on  board.  Then  we  arrived  at 
Washington  and  marched  to  Camp  Baker,  where  wTe  went 
into  quarters,  glad  of  the  change  and  rest. 

We  were  placed  under  the  command  of  Lieutenant- 
Colonel  Congers.  I  was  a  member  of  Company  H.,  Captain 
Benson.  Here  we  drilled  on  foot.  We  visited  the  city  and 
many  places  of  general  interest.  Within  a  week  of  our 
arrival  we  awoke  one  morning  to  see  a  foot  of  beautiful 
snow  covering  the  parade  grounds.    It  had  fallen  in  a  calm 

227 


HOME-MAKING  AND  ITS  PHILOSOPHY 


and  lay  as  even  as  a  blanket,  but  before  noon  we  cleared 
it  from  the  campus.  We  spent  some  time  in  the  Capitol 
building  looking  at  the  various  figures  in  bas-relief,  the 
story  of  Pocahontas  depicted  on  the  doors,  and  other  in- 
teresting features,  and  also  went  to  the  Smithsonian  Institute. 
The  various  scenes  were  more  or  less  indelibly  fixed  in 
our  youthful  minds.  We  found  the  porters  most  obliging, 
something  not  to  be  forgotten  by  country  lads. 

On  the  twelfth  of  May  our  six  companies  were  ordered 
to  embark  on  board  the  transports  on  the  Potomac.  We 
had  our  civilian  clothes  with  us,  and  our  washerwoman, 
who  had  been  faithful  with  our  weekly  wash,  consented 
to  receive  and  keep  them  for  our  return.  How  little  we 
knew  what  the  future  had  in  store  for  us.  Her  spare  rooms 
and  closets  were  piled  up  with  labeled  bundles.  I  suppose 
she  has  them  still, — but  no,  that  was  forty-five  years  ago. 
In  the  afternoon  we  went  on  board  bound  for  Fortress 
Monroe,  and  proceeded  at  once  to  Norfolk.  Our  boys 
were  in  good  spirits.  Here  our  companies  reported  to 
General  Shepley  and  were  ordered  to  Portsmouth,  where 
we  disembarked  and  went  into  camp  in  rear  of  the  town. 
We  were  armed  with  Henry's  sixteen-shot  rifles,  which 
could  be  discharged  in  one  minute  under  ordinary  conditions 
and  were  most  effective. 

We  remained  here  until  May  22  when  we  embarked 
on  the  "Manahansit"  and  proceeded  up  the  James  River 
ninety  miles  to  Bermuda  Hundred,  where  we  went  into 
camp  about  one  mile  from  the  landing  by  the  side  of  the 
other  six  companies  which  were  in  General  Kautz's  division 
of  cavalry.  On  this  march  we  went  through  beautiful 
clover  fields.  Our  march  was  in  double  file,  on  through 
fields  and  woods  to  the  point  where  the  waters  of  the 
two  rivers  met  forming  a  V-shaped  land  between  them. 

228 


THE  CIVIL  WAR 


General  Butler,  on  the  fifth  of  May,  had  built  a  line  of 
works  several  miles  in  length,  and  was  holding  them  with 
artillery  and  infantry.  It  was  at  this  time  the  infantry 
was  ordered  elsewhere  and  we  took  its  place  at  the  earth- 
works. Our  regiment  was  assigned  a  position  about  mid- 
way on  the  line  between  the  two  rivers.  We  pitched  our 
tents  a  few  rods  in  the  rear  of  the  breastworks  with  no 
protection  from  the  shot  and  shell  of  the  enemy.  The 
enemy  held  a  strong  line  of  works  in  front,  from  half  a 
mile  to  two  miles  distant.  Directly  in  front  of  the  camp, 
at  a  distance  of  about  forty  rods  from  the  main  line  of 
works,  a  thick  wood  prevented  our  men  from  seeing  the 
enemy's  position.  A  little  to  the  right  the  country  was 
open  and  there  on  an  eminence,  some  eighty  rods  in  advance 
of  our  breastworks,  was  Fort  Pride,  defended  by  a  Captain 
Pride,  an  artillery  officer,  from  whom  it  took  its  name. 
Here  we  were  constantly  on  picket,  our  regiment  being  de- 
tailed to  hold  this  line.  It  was  here  we  first  loaded  our 
rifles  for  action,  with  our  faces  flushed  in  red,  white  and 
blue,  but  we  were  men  of  natural  pluck  from  the  regions 
of  the  north  and  we  had  the  most  rapid  shooting  arm  in 
the  service,  and  had  been  drilled  in  its  use. 

The  enemy  kept  up  a  continuous  shelling  for  hours  at 
a  time.  Most  of  their  shots  went  high,  but  now  and  again 
one  would  drop  in  sight  or  near  by,  which  accustomed 
us  to  their  sounds  and  use.  The  enemy  trained  their  guns 
on  this  redoubt,  and  when  they  failed  to  make  an  impres- 
sion there  they  often  dropped  their  shells  into  our  camp. 
They  made  a  sound  very  much  like  pigeons'  wings  swiftly 
cutting  the  air,  some  screaming  overhead,  others  tearing 
up  the  ground.  In  one  instance  the  fuse  of  a  shell  was 
blown  out  and  struck  a  colored  boy  in  the  face,  but  inflicted 
no  serious  injury.    Some  of  the  boys  proposed  to  wash 

229 


HOME-MAKING  AND  ITS  PHILOSOPHY 


his  face  to  see  if  the  fright  had  not  bleached  him.  The 
humor  of  the  "darky"  is  wonderful;  when  the  fuse  whisked 
across  his  face,  he  opened  his  eyes  wide  and  seeing  a  friend 
said,  "By  golly,  Bill,  did  you  see  that  ar'  snipe?"  "Yah, 
yah!"  shouted  the  other.  "You  nigger,  I  reckon  you 
wouldn't  like  to  have  that  ar'  snipe  pick  you." 

It  was  on  the  morning  of  May  28  that  the  Rebels  opened 
with  artillery  all  along  the  line,  and  we  were  ordered  with 
our  whole  force  to  fall  in,  drawn  up  for  the  first  time  in  close 
line  of  battle  a  few  paces  from  the  breastworks,  in  anticipa- 
tion of  we  knew  not  what. 

Chaplain  Merrill,  whom  we  all  soon  learned  to  know, 
passed  along  in  front  of  the  line  to  give  some  words  of  cheer 
to  the  men.  He  "trusted  we  would  give  a  good  account 
of  ourselves"  and  some  answered,  "We  will,  Chaplain, 
that's  what  we  came  for  and  we  will  do  it."  Colonel  Con- 
gers, mounted  on  "Old  Barney,"  proved  a  gallant  com- 
mander; three  hours  later  we  returned  to  quarters  as  the 
expected  assault  was  not  made  by  the  enemy. 

On  our  picket  line  we  had  enlivening  incidents.  An 
officer  one  night  discerned  a  suspicious-looking  object 
moving  stealthily  towards  the  fortifications.  Making  a  de- 
tour he  got  into  the  rear  unperceived,  and  soon  discovered 
that  it  was  a  man  reconnoitering  our  works.  By  cautious 
movements,  now  stepping  behind  this  tree  and  now  crouch- 
ing behind  that  stump,  still  when  the  game  was  still,  and 
moving  quickly  when  it  moved,  he  succeeded  in  getting 
sufficiently  near.  Then  taking  deliberate  aim  he  roared 
out,  "Lie  down,  disarmed,"  and  brought  him  in.  The 
captive  proved  to  be  a  lieutenant  in  the  Rebel  service. 

The  actual  experience  of  war  now  began.  A  little 
to  the  right  of  where  we  were  encamped  were  two  Union 
batteries.    Our  regiment  lay  exposed.    The  breastworks 

230 


THE  CIVIL  WAR 


were  about  four  feet  high,  with  a  shallow  ditch  outside, 
beyond  which  the  forest  had  been  cleared  off,  leaving 
stumps  and  bushes  and  trees  with  limbs  sharpened,  making  an 
almost  impassable  space  of  twenty  rods  in  front.  Once 
or  twice  a  night,  when  we  were  certain  to  be  worn  out  for 
want  of  sleep,  the  batteries  would  open,  the  Rebels'  shells 
would  come  flying  through  the  air,  and  we  would  be  ordered 
to  man  the  works.  This  was  not  so  bad  in  good  weather, 
but  on  rainy  nights  to  be  hurried  out  and  compelled  to 
stand  in  the  mud  for  a  couple  of  hours,  became  extremely 
tedious  after  the  novelty  of  it  had  worn  off.  We  could  not 
remove  our  clothing,  because  we  never  knew  the  hour 
when  we  would  be  called,  and  when  we  were  called  the 
urgency  of  the  occasion  was  too  great  to  admit  of  the  least 
delay.  Every  other  night  we  took  our  turn  on  picket  duty 
out  in  front  of  the  works,  two  hours'  watch  and  four  hours' 
sleep.  On  clear,  warm  nights  it  was  not  particularly  dis- 
agreeable, but  on  cold  and  rainy  nights  it  was  far  from 
pleasant,  because  when  we  had  once  removed  our  blankets 
from  the  places  which  we  had  selected  by  daylight,  we  were 
certain  not  to  be  again  comfortable  or  dry  during  the  night. 
We  could  have  no  fires  nor  were  we  permitted  to  strike  a 
light,  and  if  we  lay  down  we  would  most  certainly  find  a 
pool  of  water  ready  to  receive  us.  Our  regiment  did  picket 
duty  for  a  distance  of  about  one  mile  in  length.  Beyond 
Fort  Pride,  on  the  morning  of  June  4,  the  enemy  com- 
menced a  furious  shelling,  which  was  kept  up  until  sunrise. 
They  had  thrown  out  a  long  line  of  skirmishers  to  attack 
the  pickets  on  the  left,  for  the  purpose  of  diverting  attention 
from  the  point  at  which  they  intended  to  strike.  The 
attack  was  sudden  and  vigorous,  but  our  rapid-firing  rifles 
made  our  numbers  appear  quadrupled.  About  nine  o'clock 
a  South  Carolina  regiment  quickly  advanced  on  Fort  Pride 

23 1 


HOME-MAKING  AND  ITS  PHILOSOPHY 


with  a  shrill  yell  we  were  beginning  to  know,  and  which 
was  peculiarly  their  own.  A  small  party  of  twenty-one 
of  our  men,  taking  advantage  of  the  ground,  got  a  position 
from  which  as  the  enemy  advanced  on  the  Fort  they  could 
give  them  an  enfilading  fire.  We  gave  them  a  volley, 
followed  by  another  and  another,  until  it  seemed  to  them 
a  whole  brigade  was  on  their  flank.  In  the  meantime  the 
artillery  opened  on  them  with  grape  and  canister  and  in 
another  moment  the  survivors  were  seeking  their  works, 
leaving  the  dead  and  wounded  on  the  field.  Among  the 
dead  was  the  colonel  of  their  regiment.  We  also  captured 
thirteen  prisoners,  of  whom  one  was  a  commissioned  officer. 
It  is  a  singular  fact  that  we  had  not  one  man  harmed.  Two 
hours  later  the  body  of  the  Rebel  colonel  was  sent  under  a 
flag  of  truce  across  the  enemy's  lines,  together  with  his 
gold  watch,  a  diamond  ring  and  various  other  articles  of 
value  found  on  his  person. 

The  Sabbath  was  at  times  remembered  in  the  army  and 
generally  so  when  in  camp,  but  on  a  march  it  was  dif- 
ferent. We  wrote  our  weekly  letters  home  usually  on  this 
day.  At  this  time  six  of  the  companies,  including  my  own, 
were  still  unmounted,  while  six  companies  that  had  en- 
listed earlier  had  their  horses  and  mounts. 

A  Soldier's  Letter 

The  following  letter  I  wrote  in  reply  to  one  that  I  received 
from  my  cousin  Rev.  Eliakim  N.  Archibald. 

"  Capitol  Hill,  Camp  Baker, 

"  Washington,  D.  C,  April  7,  1864. 
"Dear  Cousin:  It  was  with  pleasure  I  read  your  letter 
last  evening,  and  will  hasten  to  answer.    It  is  a  lovely 
morning,  the  sun  is  rising  clear  and  bright.    I  suppose 
you  are  aware  the  season  here  is  a  month  in  advance  of 

232 


THE  CIVIL  WAR 


that  in  Nova  Scotia,  the  grass  is  quite  green  and  the  trees 
are  in  budding.  No  doubt  you  think  I  was  very  foolish 
to  enlist;  it  may  be  so,  but  all  do  not  see  alike.  I  have  not 
regretted  enlisting  yet,  nor  would  I  if  I  had  to  fight  to- 
morrow. The  Yankees  are  a  go-ahead  people.  Living 
on  a  farm  is  too  quiet  for  me.  I  want  my  blood  warmed. 
My  childish  fancy  often  pictured  daring  exploits,  I  like 
the  word  hero.  Well,  you  will  say,  I  enlisted  for  fame. 
No,  not  altogether,  I  am  doing  something  for  others  and 
for  the  preservation  of  this  Union,  as  I  think  the  North 
is  doing  right  and  will  finally  subdue.  Yes,  I  hope  it 
will.  Then  I  can  see  a  great  deal  of  the  world  and  men 
I  could  not  otherwise  see,  I  could  not  afford  to  travel.  I 
can  save  a  good  sum  of  money. 

"These  are  my  motives.  I  considered  and  recon- 
sidered these  things  well  before  I  enlisted,  although  an 
influence  was  used  against  my  volunteering.  Where  I 
worked  in  Oxford,  Mr.  King  offered  to  raise  my  wages — 
and  all  were  against  my  going.  I  thought  of  it  for  some 
time,  but  somehow  I  thought  I  must  go.  When  I  was  in 
Nova  Scotia  nothing  would  have  tempted  me  to  enlist,  but 
His  way  was  not  our  ways.  I  hope  it  will  be  all  for  the 
best.  There  are  as  many  as  two  thousand  Nova  Scotians 
and  Canadians  in  the  war.  You  ask  me  if  I  am  not  sorry 
I  left  my  home  ?  The  tenor  of  your  letter  is  that  I  did 
wrong.  I  know  that  is  the  opinion  down  there.  I  will 
explain  it.  I  felt  as  if  I  could  not  be  contented  unless  I 
had  a  ramble,  it  did  not  matter  much  where.  I  thought 
of  it  for  two  or  three  years  before  I  left.  I  once  thought 
of  going  to  California.  One  wants  others  to  feel  that  they 
can  do  something  for  themselves,  and  not  be  dependent 
on  others.  Well,  the  next  thing  as  to  going  at  the  right 
time.    Of  course  there  will  be  various  opinions  about  it. 

233 


HOME-MAKING  AND  ITS  PHILOSOPHY 


I  thought,  and  so  did  my  folks  at  home,  that  now  was  the 
best  time.  Did  I  leave  my  mother  in  want  ?  No,  you 
know  I  did  not,  nor  would  I  now.  She  never  shall  want 
while  I  can  prevent  it.  If  anything  should  happen  to  me, 
I  will  have  my  business  so  arranged  that  she  will  get  my 
money.  She  can  be  as  comfortable  as  if  I  were  at  home. 
Of  course  she  would  like,  and  so  would  I,  for  me  to  be 
home  where  we  could  see  each  other  often.  But  will  it 
not  be  sweeter  when  I  get  back  ?  I  must  make  a  little 
sacrifice  of  present  enjoyment.  As  soon  as  my  time  is  out 
I  am  going  home,  God  willing.  You  speak  of  Abram's 
death  in  the  war.  I  was  at  his  funeral.  He  was  a  fine 
young  man.  I  hope  he  is  in  a  better  land  where  there  is 
no  war.  I  am  getting  along  very  well  and  have  exciting 
times.  We  have  not  yet  got  our  horses,  but  expect  to  soon. 
Our  arms  are:  Henry  repeating  rifle  (by  once  loading  we  can 
fire  sixteen  shots),  a  six-shot  revolver,  and  a  sabre  or  sword. 
I  will  send  you  my  likeness  next  month,  as  I  have  not  an 
opportunity  now.  I  will  write  some  news  about  the  war 
in  my  next.    Please  answer.    Good  bye. 

"From  your  affectionate  cousin  and  well-wisher." 


234 


CHAPTER  II 


WILSON'S  FAMOUS  RAID 

ON  June  10,  1864,  the  mounted  companies  under 
General  Kautz  moved  with  their  division,  as  we 
learned  later,  to  capture  Petersburg,  twenty-two 
miles  south  of  Richmond.  This  cavalry  was  to  attack  on 
the  south,  and  the  tenth  corps  of  infantry,  under  General 
Gilmore,  was  to  attack  from  the  north.  The  cavalry 
moved  promptly,  as  the  column  marching  by  the  Jerusalem 
turnpike  approached  the  enemy's  defences.  Lieutenant- 
Colonel  Conger  ordered  Major  Curtis  to  dismount  his 
battalion  and  to  charge  the  enemy's  works.  Every  fourth 
man  was  left  in  charge  of  the  horses  and  moved  them  to  the 
rear.  The  balance  of  the  battalion  moved  steadily  forward, 
firing  rapidly  as  they  advanced,  nor  did  they  pause  until 
they  were  inside  of  the  Rebel  works,  securing  prisoners 
and  destroying  such  camp  equipage  as  they  could  not  re- 
move. It  was  afterwards  discovered  they  had  done  this 
against  three  times  their  number,  with  common  arms.  A 
twelve-pound  brass  howitzer  was  captured.  The  enemy 
could  not  stand  the  ready-loaded  rifles  fired  low.  On 
June  14  our  six  companies  got  their  horses  and  moved  with 
the  cavalry  division  for  a  second  demonstration  on  Peters- 
burg, but  with  no  success.  On  the  nineteenth  we  broke 
camp  and  moved  north  about  nine  miles  to  a  point  on  the 
James  River,  about  two  miles  below  Jones'  Landing.  At 
four  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  of  the  twentieth  an  order 
was  received  to  be  ready  to  march  at  an  hour's  notice. 
There  were  many  raw  recruits  who  had  never  sat  in  the 
saddle  before,  and  of  course  had  no  time  for  training;  in 
fact,  they  could  not  put  their  saddles  together  without 
assistance,  but  they  were  plucky  fellows  and  had  to  learn 

235 


HOME-MAKING  AND  ITS  PHILOSOPHT 


quickly.  Three  hours  later  we  started  on  the  celebrated 
Wilson's  Raid. 

It  was  at  one  o'clock  on  the  morning  of  the  twenty-first 
of  June  that  the  regiment  moved  with  the  third  division  of 
cavalry  under  General  Kautz,  and  a  division  of  the  army 
of  the  Potomac.  The  whole  force  numbered  eight  thousand 
men  and  sixteen  pieces  of  artillery,  commanded  by  General 
Wilson.  The  object  of  this  movement  was  not  to  fight, 
but  to  weaken  the  enemy  by  cutting  his  communications, 
destroying  army  stores  and  other  public  property.  On 
the  night  of  the  twenty-first  the  command  bivouacked  at 
Blanford  on  the  Suffolk  railroad,  four  miles  south  of 
Petersburg.  On  the  twenty-second  we  passed  Prince 
George  courthouse  and  then  the  Weldon  railway,  twelve 
miles  south  of  Petersburg.  Ream's  Station  was  guarded 
by  a  small  body  of  militia.  Most  of  these  were  captured, 
and  the  locomotive,  five  cars  and  building  were  burned. 
We  marched  to  the  south  side  of  the  railway  and  burned  the 
station.  Fifteen  miles  south  of  Stony  Creek  we  burned 
Nottaway  railroad  bridge  and  tore  up  almost  a  mile  of 
rails — piling  up  the  sleepers  with  the  rails  across,  and  burn- 
ing quickly.  The  infantry  were  tearing  and  piling  the 
rails  away  into  the  night  and  the  flames  made  the  sky  blood- 
red  with  light.  The  next  day,  June  23,  the  work  of  rail 
destruction  kept  on,  moving  towards  Bellfield,  and  by  the 
zealous  efforts  of  our  six  companies  of  the  First  Maine, 
five  hundred  men,  this  work  of  bending  and  twisting  rails 
went  steadily  on  until  seven  o'clock.  The  railroad  was 
enclosed  by  a  thick  wood,  and  the  enemy  were  held  at  bay. 
They  threw  their  cannon  balls,  but  had  poor  range.  It 
was  a  cold,  rainy  day,  and  at  night  it  turned  to  sleet.  We 
lost  three  horses  in  fording  Three-Mile  Creek,  on  account 
of  the  steep  bank  and  miry  bottom,  and  were  thoroughly 

236 


WILSON'S  FAMOUS  RAID 


wet  in  crossing.  The  next  morning  we  recrossed  the  creek 
on  pontoons.  The  enemy  was  held  till  the  brigade  was  on 
the  march  back,  and  the  Twenty-first  Regiment  Pennsyl- 
vania Cavalry  and  the  First  Maine  guarded  the  rear. 

On  account  of  the  infantry  attack  General  Smith  was 
again  ordered  back  and  he  placed  his  forces  in  position  to 
check  the  enemy's  advance.  The  First  Maine  and  a  gun 
from  the  battery  were  stationed  at  the  crossing.  The 
enemy  were  in  hot  pursuit  with  their  artillery,  and  the 
frequent  discharges  of  their  guns  told  the  boys  they  were 
in  great  danger.  Colonel  Cilley  handled  his  men  well, 
for  which  he  was  complimented  by  General  Gregg. 

Lieutenant  George  F.  Jewett  of  Company  K.  tells  the 
story  of  the  death  of  our  Sergeant  Herbert  on  this  expedition 
while  on  his  return  from  Bellfield.  Our  regiment  having 
to  guard  the  rear  we  formed  in  line  on  a  ridge  in  an  open 
field  to  check  the  enemy  until  the  column  could  get  out 
of  the  way. 

Lieutenant  Jewett's  account  is  as  follows:  "Our  com- 
pany had  the  left  of  the  line,  and  when  the  regiment  moved 
out  into  the  road  to  pass  to  the  rear,  the  colonel  told  me  to 
hold  my  position  till  the  column  was  well  out  of  the  way 
and  then  move  back  at  a  trot.  I  followed  the  same  tactics 
with  the  company,  reserving  two  sets  of  fours  with  me 
and  sending  the  rest  of  the  company  after  the  column. 
After  the  company  had  sufficient  time  to  get  out  of  the  way, 
I  moved  out  with  the  eight  men  through  a  gap  in  the  fence 
and  started  back  at  a  trot.  The  Rebels  were  shelling  us 
at  the  time  and  their  skirmish  was  quite  near  us,  and  annoyed 
us  considerably.  The  first  intimation  of  the  successful 
use  of  their  artillery  was  in  seeing  the  butt  of  a  carbine 
fly  past  me,  and  I  looked  around  to  see  who  had  so  narrow 
an  escape,  and  saw  Herbert  just  picking  himself  out  of  the 

237 


HOME-MAKING  AND  ITS  PHILOSOPHY 


dust  of  the  road,  his  horse  keeping  his  place  in  the  set  of 
fours.  I  turned  to  the  two  men  nearest  and  ordered  them 
to  come  and  help;  they  did  not  understand  or  hear.  I 
took  the  sergeant's  left  hand  (the  right  hand  was  shot  off), 
up  over  the  pommel  of  my  saddle  and  led  him  back  till  we 
were  practically  covered  from  the  enemy,  when  we  stopped 
and  Herbert  fainted.  By  this  time  some  of  the  officers 
of  the  regiment  came  to  assist  him.  The  line  having  formed 
on  the  next  ridge  they  lifted  the  man  up  across  my  lap  and 
I  brought  him  in.  I  saw  him  that  night  at  Sussex  court- 
house, after  the  surgeon  had  made  him  comfortable.  The 
next  day  he  was  sent  to  Washington.  I  have  his  letter 
from  there,  thanking  me  for  saving  his  life.  Gangrene, 
however,  set  in,  and  he  died  in  the  hospital  at  Washington. 
He  was  a  brave,  good  soldier,  and  was  always  anxious  to 
be  at  the  front  till  we  started  on  this  raid.  He  asked  me 
to  excuse  him,  saying  he  had  a  presentiment  he  would  be 
shot;  we  were  short  of  men  and  he  went  to  his  doom." 

At  Lord's  Station  we  destroyed  the  public  buildings. 
Three  locomotives,  fifteen  cars,  buildings  on  the  same 
road,  and  three  station  buildings  were  burned,  and  the  road 
torn  up.  On  the  twenty-fourth  we  marched  eight  miles 
to  Nottaway  courthouse,  burning  all  station  buildings,  and 
a  large  storehouse  filled  with  cotton,  then  advanced  to 
Keyesville  on  the  Richmond  and  Danville  railroad,  leaving 
a  batch  of  smouldering  ruins.  Horseback  riding  gave  us 
a  great  appetite  that  nothing  but  food  would  appease. 
Sometimes  haversacks  were  emptied,  at  which  times  raw  corn 
was  not  too  bad  to  be  eaten.  But  there  were  times  when 
we  came  across  a  smoke  house  or  supply  of  bread,  meat, 
butter,  milk,  eggs,  cream,  and  a  contribution  was  levied 
for  our  benefit.  At  Drake's  Depot,  eight  miles  further 
south,  smoke-house  compliments  were  necessary. 

238 


WILSON'S  FAMOUS  RAID 


On  the  way  we  approached  Roanoke  Bridge  across 
the  Staunton  River.  This  was  a  fortified  point  of  great 
importance  and  guarded.  On  this  side  of  the  river,  at  a 
distance  of  about  three-fourths  of  a  mile,  running  parallel 
with  it,  was  a  range  of  hills.  Between  the  hills  and  the 
river  the  ground  was  open  and  level.  At  the  left  of  the 
railroad  was  a  broad  field  of  corn,  while  on  the  right  was  a 
luxuriant  growth  of  grass  and  weeds  rising  to  the  height 
of  a  man.  The  bluff  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  river  was 
lined  with  earthworks  and  bristled  with  cannon  both 
above  and  below  the  ridge,  while  a  strong  line  of  the  enemy's 
skirmishers  had  been  thrown  across  the  bridge  and  deployed 
along  the  shore.  The  First  District  of  Columbia  Cavalry 
was  detailed  to  burn  the  bridge.  The  undertaking  was 
a  very  perilous  one,  the  wisdom  of  doing  so  was  questioned, 
and  yet  the  order  was  given  to  charge  across  the  level  ground 
in  the  face  of  the  Rebel  batteries.  The  First  District  of 
Columbia  Cavalry  moved  forward  splendidly,  dismounted. 
My  company,  H.,  Captain  Benson,  had  not  advanced  far 
when  from  the  line  of  the  enemy  was  hurled  a  murderous 
fire  of  grape  and  canister  with  terrible  effect.  Officers 
and  men  went  down  in  large  numbers,  without  the  least 
protection,  in  the  face  of  that  withering  fire.  The  men 
pressed  on  till  near  the  bridge.  We  tried  to  burn  it  but 
did  not  succeed.  The  cannonading  and  screaming  of 
shell,  with  the  terrific  concussions,  made  the  earth  tremble. 
We  were  ordered  to  retire,  and  after  a  return  march  of  thirty- 
two  miles  to  Oak  Grove  the  column  halted  for  the  night. 
The  next  day  we  marched  thirty-eight  miles  to  the  iron  bridge 
across  Stony  Creek,  arriving  about  ten  o'clock  on  the  twenty- 
eighth.  Here  we  found  a  heavy  force  of  cavalry  and  artillery 
in  position  to  dispute  the  crossing.  A  severe  engagement 
took  place,  and  the  result  was  indecisive.    The  enemy 

239 


HOME-MAKING  AND  ITS  PHILOSOPHY 


were  pressed  back  while  the  raiding  column  turned  to  the 
left  and  crossed  above.  When  we  reached  Ream's  Station, 
where  we  supposed  were  Union  troops,  General  Kautz 
found  the  enemy  in  force,  both  infantry  and  artillery,  and 
we  were  outnumbered  two  to  one.  The  enemy  had  one  flank 
on  the  Nottaway  River  and  the  other  pushed  far  out  to  the 
left.  The  First  District  of  Columbia  Cavalry  and  an 
infantry  regiment  charged  right  through.  General  Wilson 
abandoned  all  his  artillery  wagons  and  ambulances,  and 
by  making  a  wide  detour  avoided  the  enemy  and  left  our 
two  regiments  to  their  fate.  Our  guard  with  the  two 
regiments  had  gone  a  short  distance  when  Kautz  found 
himself  in  a  triangle,  two  sides  of  which,  including  the 
rear,  were  held  by  the  enemy  in  overwhelming  numbers. 
Extending  along  his  right  front  was  the  railroad,  running 
through  a  cut  from  ten  to  twelve  feet  in  depth;  beyond  it 
and  running  nearly  parallel  with  it  was  a  stream  of  consider- 
able depth,  and  beyond  that  an  extensive  swamp  supposed 
to  be  impassable.  The  enemy  now  thought  himself  sure 
of  his  prey.  It  was  a  wild,  exciting  scene  to  see  those 
mounted  men  slide  down  the  steep  embankment  to  the 
railroad  track,  scramble  up  the  opposite  bank,  dash  down 
the  next  declivity  into  the  stream  and  wallow  through 
mire  and  water — the  horses  in  some  instances  rolling  over 
and  the  men  going  under — amid  the  thunder  of  artillery, 
shells  exploding,  grape  and  canister  raining  and  musket 
balls  whistling  around  them,  till  they  reached  the  opposite 
shore  and  disappeared  in  the  swamp  which  had  been  made 
passable  for  us  by  a  fortunate  drought.  General  Kautz 
led  this  brilliant  retreat  into  the  swamp  and  through  to 
Jones's  landing  the  next  day.  Colonel  Conger,  Major 
Curtis  and  Captain  Sanford  were  severely  wounded.  Captain 
Benson  and  Captain  Chase  were  wounded  at  Roanoke 

240 


WILSON'S  FAMOUS  RAID 


Bridge,  and  fell  into  the  enemy's  hands  when  the  am- 
bulances were  abandoned  at  Stony  Creek.  The  damage 
to  the  enemy  by  this  raid  was  immense.  But  never  was 
there  a  more  tired  lot  of  men.  For  the  next  two  weeks 
we  had  rest  and  drill.  Once  or  twice  we  were  ordered 
out  on  a  reconnoissance,  and  once  (on  foot)  to  repel  an 
expected  assault  which,  however,  was  not  made. 


241 


CHAPTER  III 


CROSSING  THE  JAMES  ON  PONTOONS 

ON  July  27  orders  were  received  to  be  ready  to  move 
at  four  o'clock  in  the  evening  with  three  days' 
rations.  The  whole  cavalry  force  had  been  ordered 
across  the  James  River  to  the  north.  The  object  was  to 
draw  off  the  enemy  from  Petersburg,  where  the  main  assault 
was  to  be  made  in  connection  with  a  mine  explosion.  The 
head  of  General  Sheridan's  column  arrived  from  the  west 
side  of  the  Appomattox  at  nine  in  the  evening.  At  three 
the  next  morning  the  First  District  of  Columbia  Cavalry 
joined  its  rear  and  halted  for  the  command  to  cross  the 
pontoon  bridge.  This  was  our  first  experience  crossing 
a  river  a  mile  wide  on  a  pontoon  bridge,  and  a  trembling 
one  it  was.  We  led  our  horses  in  single  file  with  much 
feeling  of  insecurity  along  the  plank  resting  on  the  boats 
pointing  up  the  stream,  half  expecting  all  the  time  that 
we  would  be  thrown  over  by  the  swaying  of  the  boats,  or 
the  rise  and  fall  under  the  tread  of  the  horses,  for  both 
men  and  horses  reeled  as  if  drunken,  and  the  horse  is  the 
steadier  and  braver  of  the  two.  We  really  learn  to  love 
these  noble  animals.  All  got  over  safely  and  our  faith  in 
pontoons  was  increased. 

It  was  after  midday  when  our  crossing  was  effected. 
The  day  was  very  hot  and  we  suffered  greatly  for  want  of 
water  after  we  left  the  river.  Perhaps  at  no  period  of  my 
life  in  the  service  was  the  suffering  so  intense.  The  lips, 
mouth  and  throat  become  so  dry  and  parched  that  even 
the  natural  desire  for  life  is  deadened  and  indifference  to 
all  else  is  lost  in  the  awful  thirst,  which  steadily  grows 
in  intensity  until  stupor  and  delirium  creep  over  the  senses. 
This,  once  experienced,  is  never  to  be  forgotten.  That 

242 


CROSSING  THE  JAMES  ON  PONTOONS 


night  was  very  dark  on  picket,  the  darkest  I  ever  knew. 
The  next  day  we  recrossed  the  pontoons  on  the  James 
without  having  felt  the  enemy.  The  main  line  of  the 
Union  outworks  in  front  of  Petersburg  conformed  very 
nearly  to  that  of  the  enemy,  on  the  left,  bending  southward 
so  as  to  fall  on  or  near  the  Weldon  railway. 

On  August  3  our  headquarters  were  established  at 
Sycamore  church,  Major  Baker  commanding.  This  place 
was  about  ten  miles  southeast  of  City  Point  on  the  James 
River.  We  were  here  from  the  eighth  to  the  twenty-first 
of  August,  doing  picket  duty  on  the  Weldon  railway, 
four  miles  from  Petersburg.  Our  forces  had  taken  posses- 
sion of  the  railway  and  the  enemy  made  a  desperate  ef- 
fort to  retake  it  on  the  twenty-first,  when  we  participated 
in  the  capture  of  a  brigade  of  Rebel  troops,  with  three 
stands  of  colors.  On  the  twenty-second  we  were  on  picket 
and  the  next  morning  the  regiment  became  engaged  with 
a  body  of  Rebel  troops  and  drove  them  four  miles,  de- 
stroying army  stores.  In  the  afternoon  of  the  same  day, 
we  encountered  Hampton's  Legion;  experienced  as  they 
were  they  could  not  stand  our  sixteen-shooters,  and  they 
were  driven  back.  We  lost  a  few  men  here.  On  the 
twenty-fourth  fighting  was  renewed,  and  on  the  twenty- 
fifth  we  had  three  sharp,  distinct  engagements,  and 
repulsed  the  enemy  each  time.  About  four  o'clock  there 
were  indications  of  an  intended  flank  movement,  and  we 
dismounted  and  prepared  to  entrench.  Quickly  we  pulled 
logs,  stumps,  brush,  roots,  and  anything  at  hand  to  make 
a  breastwork.  We  had  no  sooner  thrown  it  into  place 
than  the  Rebel  artillery  opened  on  us.  These  works  were 
no  protection,  but  we  stood  there.  We  could  not  see  the 
enemy,  but  we  knew  what  the  shelling  meant.  We  were 
silent,  but  every  man  was  at  his  post.    Every  eye  was 

243 


HOME-MAKING  AND  ITS  PHILOSOPHY 


open  and  every  ear  strained,  but  we  heard  nothing  but 
the  roar  of  artillery  and  the  crash  of  shells,  and  it  was  only 
a  short  time  until  we  saw  the  enemy  advancing  through 
the  woods  in  a  strong  line.  As  soon  as  they  saw  us  they 
raised  a  yell  and  rushed  to  the  charge.  We  were  com- 
manded to  reserve  our  fire,  coolly  awaiting  the  order  when 
the  enemy  was  sufficiently  near.  The  first  volley  told, 
and  volley  after  volley  fired  low  in  quick  succession  swept 
our  front  clear.  We  held  our  position  until  dark  and  then 
retired.  The  next  day  we  returned  to  Sycamore  church 
and  went  on  picket  duty. 

As  the  Union  lines  advanced  we  formed  the  acquaintance 
of  some  of  the  planters.  This  was  usually  agreeable.  One 
of  the  officers,  out  on  a  scouting  expedition  with  a  small 
squad  of  men,  halted  near  a  fine  mansion  a  considerable 
distance  outside  of  our  lines.  He  advanced  and  politely 
accosted  the  lordly  proprietor,  who  sat  on  his  piazza  puffing 
a  cigar.  He  commenced  a  furious  tirade  against  Lincoln 
and  his  dirty  minions.  The  lieutenant  listened  patiently. 
One  of  the  colored  women  happened  to  be  carrying  a  churn- 
ing of  butter  from  a  building  near  by.  "Well,  sir,"  said 
the  lieutenant,  "war  is  a  costly  thing.  Now  as  this  sort 
of  talk  seems  a  luxury  to  you,  we  must  tax  it.  Please  send 
a  few  pounds  of  your  butter,"  and  it  came.  But  the  pro- 
prietor kept  on  abusing  the  government,  and  then  a  pause. 
"We  want  a  half  dozen  of  your  best  hams  and  a  sack  of 
flour  and  the  sooner  it  is  sent  the  better,"  said  the  officer. 
The  negro  who  executed  the  order  evidently  enjoyed  the 
thing,  for  he  had  a  twinkle  in  his  eye  a  good  deal  merrier 
than  his  master.  The  master  was  now  foaming  and  venting 
his  rage.  "Sir,  your  indulgence  has  gone  far  enough; 
square  the  account  by  turning  out  the  two  beeves  I  see 
there,  and  if  you  continue  your  abuse  I'll  take  you  along." 

244 


CROSSING  THE  JAMES  ON  PONTOONS 


And  so  it  came  to  pass  that  the  boys  of  the  company  had  a 
pleasant  change  of  diet. 

Our  portion  of  the  picket  line  comprised  about  five 
miles,  running  along  a  road  nearly  east  and  west,  mostly 
through  a  wooded  country.  Major  Baker  was  in  com- 
mand of  two  battalions,  and  Captain  Howe  of  one  battalion 
on  the  left,  with  the  reserve  at  Cox's  Mills,  two  miles  east. 
Such  was  the  position  of  these  four  hundred  men  on  the 
outer  picket  line,  live  miles  from  any  support,  when  at 
daybreak  on  September  16  they  were  suddenly  attacked 
by  the  whole  force  of  Wade  Hampton's  guerilla  cavalry,  sup- 
ported by  three  brigades  of  infantry.  In  some  way  or  other, 
which  has  not  been  explained,  one  detachment  of  the  enemy 
passed  through  the  picket  line  on  the  right  that  was  held 
by  another  regiment.  Another  had  gone  around  the  left 
flank  where  there  were  no  pickets.  The  point  of  attack 
was  unimportant,  but  there  were  in  the  rear  twenty-three 
hundred  fat  cattle,  and  the  Rebels  threw  out  a  strong  force 
to  capture  them.  Before  daybreak  the  videttes  in  front 
of  the  picket  post  near  the  church  gave  the  alarm  and  fell 
quickly  back  to  the  post,  pursued  by  a  strong  body  of 
cavalry.  The  reserve  opened  fire,  which  checked  the 
advance,  but  reinforcements  appeared  charging  up  the 
road,  killing  and  wounding  many  of  our  men  and  making 
prisoners  of  most  of  the  others.  In  consequence  of  the 
suddenness  of  the  attack  and  the  near  approach  of  the 
enemy  before  alarm  could  be  given,  the  killed  and  wounded 
were  inconsiderable,  but  the  number  taken  prisoners  was 
about  three  hundred.  They  were  among  the  bravest  men 
which  Maine  had  sent  to  the  war. 

Private  Whitney,  who  was  one  of  the  prisoners,  relates 
the  story:  ''With  a  large  number  of  others  I  was  taken 
prisoner  at  Sycamore  church  on  the  morning  of  September 

245 


HOME-MAKING  AND  ITS  PHILOSOPHY 


1 6,  1864.  We  were  marched  that  day  and  night  fifty  miles, 
the  next  day  twenty  miles  to  Petersburg  and  then  by  rail 
to  Libby  Prison  at  Richmond.  After  remaining  there 
about  a  week  on  short  rations,  we  were  taken  to  Danville 
and  put  into  a  building  in  which  were  about  six  hundred 
prisoners.  One  night  there  was  an  attempt  to  break  out, 
for  the  purpose  of  allowing  us  all  to  escape;  but  the  attempt 
failed  after  one  of  the  guards  and  a  prisoner  had  been 
killed  and  another  prisoner  wounded,  and  the  next  night 
they  sent  us  to  Salisbury.  We  had  heard  that  we  would 
be  better  there,  and  were  happy  at  the  idea  of  a  change, 
but  on  arriving  we  found  ourselves  in  a  stockade,  with  no 
shelter  but  the  heavens.  Up  to  this  time  no  prisoners 
from  our  regiment  had  died,  but  we  were  visited  by  a  long 
cold  rainstorm  soon  after  arriving  there,  and  the  men 
began  to  die.  It  rained  about  three  days  and  nights,  and 
I  did  not  lie  down  during  that  time,  but  would  walk  about 
until  I  became  very  tired,  and  then  sit  down  on  my  feet 
and  rest  my  back  against  a  tree.  When  we  first  arrived 
the  prisoners  were  dying  at  the  rate  of  one  or  two  a  day, 
and  the  dead  were  carried  out  singly,  each  one  in  a  box; 
but  we  had  not  been  there  long  before  they  were  dying 
at  the  rate  of  thirty  or  forty  a  day,  and  then  they  came 
after  the  dead  with  a  four-mule  team,  into  which  they  threw 
the  dead  bodies  and  carted  them  away.  We  received 
one  ration  a  day,  consisting  of  cob-meal  bread,  though 
sometimes  we  were  given  the  meal  raw;  then  we  had  to 
cook  it  ourselves  with  very  poor  facilities  for  fire.  Green 
pine,  not  split,  was  the  fuel  and  a  long  distance  to  carry 
it,  so  we  ate  our  food  raw  many  times  and  called  it 
good.  Then  they  put  us  on  half  rations,  when  God 
knows  full  rations  were  not  half  enough.  The  men  died 
very  easily,  most  of  them  at  night.    When  one  died  that 

246 


CROSSING  THE  JAMES  ON  PONTOONS 


had  better  clothes  than  the  living,  we  would  change  with 
him." 

Samuel  Elliott  of  Cornwallis,  Nova  Scotia,  was  a  member 
of  Company  H.  He  was  taken  at  Sycamore  church,  sent 
to  Andersonville  Prison,  and  died  there.    I  knew  him  well. 


247 


CHAPTER  IV 


TRANSFER  TO  FIRST  MAINE  CAVALRY 

AN  order  was  issued  for  the  transfer  of  the  eight 
companies  from  Maine  enrolled  in  the  First  Dis- 
trict of  Columbia  Cavalry  to  the  First  Maine 
Cavalry  under  Gen.  C.  H.  Smith,  whom  we  learned  to 
highly  esteem.  General  Smith  says:  "In  August,  1864, 
so  much  of  the  First  District  of  Columbia  Cavalry  as  had 
been  raised  in  Maine,  eight  or  nine  companies  in  all — a 
regiment  in  itself — was  transferred  to  the  First  Maine. 
They  were  our  friends  and  neighbors  at  home.  They 
had  served  with  us  in  the  same  great  army,  in  the  same 
companies,  and  side  by  side  with  us  in  battle.  Their 
coming  was  to  the  regiment  a  magnificent  recruitment  of 
veterans.  The  consolidation  was  effected  with  singular 
harmony  and  success,  while  the  only  important  change 
made  in  the  regiment  by  the  transfer  was  that  it  became 
thereby  immensely  more  First  Maine  Cavalry  than  it  was 
before,  and  greater  in  the  record  of  its  subsequent  achieve- 
ments. From  Boyden  Plank  Road  to  historical  Appo- 
mattox, we  see  only  one  regiment  and  one  history." 

Hereafter  we  were  under  new  officers  and  in  a  new 
company.  W.  C.  Archibald,  Company  H.,  First  Maine 
Cavalry,  under  Capt.  John  D.  Myrick  of  Augusta,  Maine, 
was  my  address.  On  September  26  Major  Cilley  was 
promoted  to  Lieutenant-Colonel  and  Captain  Tucker  to 
Major  of  the  regiment.  On  the  twenty-eighth  orders  were 
received  to  serve  out  three  days'  rations  and  two  days'  forage, 
and  be  ready  to  move  at  four  o'clock  next  morning.  The 
march  was  along  General  Grant's  railroad  to  the  junction 
with  the  Weldon  railway;  and  a  couple  of  days  were  spent 
in  marching,  skirmishing  and  changing  positions,  while 

248 


TRANSFER  TO  FIRST  MAINE  CAVALRY 


others  were  fighting.  On  October  I  we  had  one  man  of 
Company  H.  wounded.  We  spent  a  week  scouting,  picket- 
ing and  reconnoitering  and  on  October  9  we  went  into  camp, 
which  proved  to  be  our  winter  quarters.  It  was  near 
Jerusalem  Plank  Road  and  one  mile  from  Hancock  Station. 
Our  bandsmen  were  mounted  on  white  horses,  with  new 
instruments,  and  they  made  a  splendid  appearance.  A 
new  brigade  was  formed  at  this  time,  with  General  Smith 
in  command. 

On  October  26  our  division  marched  to  the  Halifax 
Road,  where  we  bivouacked  till  two  the  next  morning. 
At  Rowanty  Creek  next  day  we  dismounted  and  used  our 
sixteen-shooters  to  good  effect,  driving  the  enemy  back. 
We  then  advanced  to  Gravelly  Run,  where  we  crossed  a 
bridge  under  a  galling  fire  of  artillery,  and  down  into  a 
ravine.  General  Smith  gave  the  order  to  charge  up  the 
high  banks,  nearly  two  hundred  yards.  It  was  done  with 
a  bound  and  a  yell,  in  full  view  of  the  enemy  and  in  full 
range  of  their  rifles.  Captain  Chadbourne  gave  the  com- 
mand, "Forward  to  the  left,"  and  sweeping  across  the  open 
field  we  soon  routed  the  enemy,  capturing  a  few  prisoners 
and  the  camp  equipage.  Captain  Chadbourne  and  Lieu- 
tenant Jackson  were  wounded.  The  brigade  pushed  on 
to  Boyden  Plank  Road,  when  our  regiment  was  ordered 
to  "Prepare  to  fight  on  foot,  and  report  to  General  Mott," 
who  was  then  under  a  heavy  fire.  Before  reaching  position 
it  was  discovered  that  the  whole  force  Was  flanked,  and 
we  retired  on  the  double  quick  to  our  brigade.  It  was 
found  that  General  Hampton's  force  was  deployed  across 
the  Boyden  Plank  Road  and  the  Third  New  York  was  put 
in  position  to  meet  him.  The  First  Maine  was  deployed 
on  the  right  of  this  road  and  the  Twenty-first  Pennsylvania 
Cavalry  on  the  left,  and  there  we  engaged  the  enemy  for 

249 


HOME-MAKING  AND  ITS  PHILOSOPHY 


the  third  time  that  day.  We  were  under  a  heavy  fire  and 
knew  ourselves  to  be  in  a  tight  place,  and  were  afterwards 
awarded  much  praise.  Had  this  brigade  given  away,  the 
second  corps  must  have  gone  also;  but  the  position  was 
held  until  dark,  and  we  retired  in  the  night.  It  was  a  hard 
day,  one  to  be  remembered.  Chaplain  Merrill  relates  that 
one  of  the  old  District  of  Columbia  men,  Frank  Green, 
during  the  hot  engagement  of  the  afternoon  felt  a  peculiar 
sensation  in  his  breast  and  back,  followed  by  the  trickling 
of  blood,  showing  that  he  was  wounded.  Going  to  the 
rear  he  found  an  ambulance  and  was  taken  to  the  corps 
hospital.  The  first  surgeon  who  saw  him  called  another 
in  consultation.  Having  examined  the  patient  the  two 
shook  their  heads  and  directed  the  nurse  to  make  him  as 
comfortable  as  possible.  A  bullet  had  passed  through  the 
upper  portion  of  the  left  lung  and  out  at  the  back. 

" Doctor !"  said  the  wounded  man,  "what  does  this 
mean?"  "It  means,"  said  the  doctor,  "we  think  you 
cannot  live."    "Die!    Nonsense,  I  shall  not  die  this  time." 

After  learning  that  he  had  one  chance  in  a  thousand 
to  survive,  under  God,  his  pluck  and  good  nursing  saved 
him. 

We  lost  of  the  First  Maine  at  Boyden  Plank  Road  (the 
boys  called  it  "Bull  Pen")  eleven  killed,  sixty-two  wounded 
and  eight  missing. 

General  Grant,  in  his  official  report,  says,  "From  this 
time  forward  the  operations  in  front  of  Petersburg,  until 
the  spring  campaign  of  1865,  were  confined  to  defensive 
and  offensive  movements  for  crippling  communications  in 
the  enemy's  lines." 

Monday,  October  31,  was  pay-day  for  the  regiment, 
and  this  put  much  money  into  circulation,  especially  for 
the  sutlers'  benefit  as  well  as  for  those  who  made  remittances 

250 


TRANSFER  TO  FIRST  MAINE  CAVALRY 


home.  Men  got  tired  of  hardtack,  pork  and  beans,  and 
longed  for  a  change.  November  i,  dress  parade,  drill  and 
picket  duty  were  almost  the  only  duties. 

On  Sabbath,  November  6,  our  Chaplain  Merrill  held 
his  first  services  with  the  new  regiment.  He  was  a  gentle- 
manly, quiet,  yet  cordial  man,  who  met  all  in  reasonable 
and  helpful  converse.  His  sermons  were  plain  and  earnest, 
but  well  sweetened  by  a  refined  sense  of  the  risks  and  dangers 
we  ran,  and  solicitude  for  the  highest  welfare  of  the  men. 
It  was  his  custom  on  a  Sabbath  morning  to  walk  down  to 
the  tents  with  a  bundle  of  papers  provided  by  the  Christian 
Commission,  and  in  his  gentle  voice  and  winning  manner 
to  say,  "Good  morning,  Comrade,"  to  which  the  men  always 
heartily  responded,  "Good  morning,  Chaplain,"  when  per- 
haps he  would  add  a  word  or  two  more.  He  was  always 
welcome,  as  were  the  religious  papers  too.  Men  in  winter 
quarters  learn  to  feel  at  home,  for  their  quarters  become 
a  familiar  spot,  and  they  learn  to  value  the  companionship 
of  their  associates.  There  is  time,  too,  for  review  of  past 
dangers,  failures  and  successes.  They  are  able  to  draw 
from  the  retrospect  those  finer  thoughts  that  reflection 
brings,  and  fresh  resolves  come  as  reinforcements  to  meet 
the  perils  of  their  dangerous  life.  Their  experiences  count 
for  much,  perhaps  more  than  in  civilian  life,  because  the 
incidents  which  daily  occur  touch  their  lives  more  closely 
in  ways  that  are  often  vital  to  their  future.  The  very  fact 
that  life  is  daily  in  extraordinary  peril  quickens  the  nobler 
faculties  of  the  soul.  The  general  observation  has  been 
that  men  show  less  of  the  spirit  of  profanity  in  war  than  is 
shown  in  civilian  life.  Of  course  the  recklessly  profane 
are  there,  but  they  disgust  far  more  than  attract.  In  the 
Civil  War  there  was  a  strong  grade  of  men  who  lived  daily 
at  their  best,  amid  scenes  of  carnage  which  they  regarded 

251 


HOME-MAKING  AND  ITS  PHILOSOPHY 


as  a  necessity.  It  is  a  fair  statement  that  almost  every 
man  had  his  Bible  or  Testament  with  him,  perhaps  given 
by  a  mother,  wife  or  sister  whom  he  loved  and  who  was 
writing  letters,  often  weekly,  and  which  were  very  strong 
factors  for  good  in  the  soldier's  life.  Letters  were  not  only 
frequent,  but  they  breathed  that  solicitude  born  of  anxiety 
which  is  held  sacred  and  dear  by  every  soul.  If  men  cannot 
be  touched  by  such  an  influence  as  this  they  are  indeed 
well  beyond  the  pale  of  hope. 

It  was  just  a  few  days  before  the  cattle  capture  at  Syca- 
more church,  while  engaged  on  picket  duty  and  with  the 
reserve,  that  I  was  dangerously  wounded.  Our  relief  had 
been  four  hours  off,  and  we  were  preparing  to  mount. 
Seizing  my  repeating  rifle,  with  a  cartridge  in,  I  drew  the 
barrel  quickly  towards  me  when  the  hammer  unfortunately 
caught  a  twig,  and  the  bullet  ploughed  its  way  up  the  fore- 
head, depressing  the  frontal  bone  and  tunneling  its  way 
through  the  hair  four  inches.  I  fell  as  though  dead,  un- 
conscious, of  course,  of  any  accident  to  myself;  but  on  the 
eve  of  returning  consciousness  it  seemed  that  I  could  clearly 
see  a  hole  through  my  head  from  forehead  to  back,  and  I 
seemed  to  simply  gaze  at  it  in  wonder  what  it  meant.  Then 
I  heard  voices  about  me.  I  had  been  carried  into  the  tent, 
and  I  think  the  tones  of  men's  voices  I  knew  helped  to 
bring  me  more  quickly  back  to  consciousness.  I  was 
at  once  sent  to  the  field  hospital,  where  I  had  the  usual 
care  and  treatment  while  the  wound  was  healing.  This 
accident  may  have  providentially  saved  me  on  the  night  of 
the  cattle  raid  from  being  taken  prisoner,  and  from  a  linger- 
ing death  a  thousand  times  worse  than  a  bullet  wound. 

There  were  four  acquaintances  and  comrades  who 
enlisted  at  the  same  time  and  in  the  same  company  with  me. 
One  of  these,  young  Merrell,  was  shot;  his  brother  Dennis 

252 


TRANSFER  TO  FIRST  MAINE  CAVALRY 


and  Samuel  Elliott  were  taken  prisoners  at  this  time,  and 
both  died  in  prison  at  Andersonville;  Charles  Alexander, 
my  tent  mate,  was  shot  in  Chamberlin  Creek  (to  him  I 
will  refer  again),  so  that  of  these  five  I  am  the  only  one 
to  return  home  alive. 

Such  is  war.  I  was  young,  with  a  healthy  body  and 
mind.  Soon  I  was  convalescing,  and  before  three  weeks 
had  passed  the  wound  had  healed.  The  field  hospital 
was  the  usual  canvas  tent,  holding  fifty  to  one  hundred 
patients,  with  cots  on  each  side  of  the  aisle  or  passageway. 
It  stood  on  a  knoll  and  the  greensward  served  as  a  floor. 
There  were  besides  our  men  a  dozen  of  the  Rebel  wounded, 
who  were  brought  here  and  cared  for  as  if  they  were  friends, 
or  even  better,  and  that  simply  because  they  were  enemies. 
They  kept  very  much  by  themselves  and  talked  in  low 
tones  together,  for  they  were  almost  well,  and  were  likely 
to  be  sent  North  as  prisoners  almost  any  day.  The  spirit 
of  their  combined  personalities  was  altogether  foreign  to 
ours,  as  would  be  expected  from  our  diverse  sympathies 
and  hopes.  There  were  two  women  nurses  in  this  ward 
and  very  motherly  they  were  to  us.  We  had  been  getting 
along  without  the  company  of  women,  and  it  was  all  very 
well  except  when  we  were  sick.  Then  there  is  no  hand 
like  a  mother's,  or  sweet  sister's,  or  true  wife's.  About 
three  weeks  after  entering  here  I  grew  tired  of  the  quiet 
life  and  of  hospital  scenes,  and,  as  I  felt  well,  asked  to  be 
sent  to  my  regiment,  which  request  was  granted. 

While  in  the  hospital  President  Lincoln  passed  through 
the  wards,  accompanied  by  an  officer  of  the  army.  I 
vividly  recall  his  slightly  bent  head  and  figure,  but  I  was 
touched  more  by  his  large  face  and  fullness  of  look,  the 
memory  of  which  has  remained  with  me  all  these  years. 
It  was  that  of  one  breathing  sympathy,  while  he  himself 

253 


HOME-MAKING  AND  ITS  PHILOSOPHY 


was  under  a  great  weight  of  anxious  care.  I  have  a  picture 
of  our  Saviour  in  prayer,  in  the  home  of  Mary  and  Martha, 
so  strongly  expressive  of  the  greatest  sorrow  and  deepest 
burden  of  wrongs,  and  as  I  often  look  at  it  in  my  study  it 
holds  me  fast.    Lincoln's  look  that  day  reminds  me  of  His. 


254 


CHAPTER  V 


THANKSGIVING  DINNER 

THE  twenty-fourth  of  November  was  Thanksgiving 
Day,  and  the  people  of  Maine  were,  in  the  fullness 
of  their  hearts,  sending  dinners  specially  for  the 
occasion  for  their  husbands  and  sons  who  knew  little  of 
the  luxuries  on  the  field  of  battle.  The  morning  of  the 
twenty-fourth  came  and  no  Thanksgiving  dinner  had 
arrived  for  us.  Did  you  ever  see  the  thermometer  drop 
five  degrees  a  minute  ?  Well,  we  had  a  parallel  that  morning. 
It  is  true  we  had  hardtack  and  pork  and  beans,  but  our 
thoughts  and  tastes  had  risen  far  above  such  commonplace 
things  as  these.  The  next  day,  however,  the  turkeys  came, 
with  sweetmeats  too,  and  it  was  indeed  an  agreeable  surprise. 
The  good  things  and  home  letters  seemed  to  bring  the  men 
on  the  field  and  the  people  at  home  together. 

I  wrote  to  my  dear  mother  and  brothers  and  sisters 
in  the  dear  old  home  in  the  far-off  land,  as  I  thought,  very 
regularly  when  I  was  in  tent  or  quarters.  While  we  were 
on  the  march  or  skirmishing  and  fighting  it  was  often  im- 
possible to  write  or  post  a  letter. 

The  Wilson  raid  lasted  thirteen  days,  the  men  fighting 
their  way  on  every  side,  eating  their  hardtack,  or  sleeping 
on  their  pommels  as  they  marched.  Many  a  time  when 
the  column  halted  we  would  rest  our  weaned  horses  and 
lie  down  between  them  and  sleep.  Wlien  the  column 
would  start,  without  the  men  awaking,  I  never  knew  a  man 
trampled  upon  by  his  horse;  and  why?  There  is  a  higher 
instinct,  a  sense  of  danger  and  of  sympathy  for  friends,  in 
the  lower  animals  than  we  understand.  The  nobility  and  fine 
instinct  of  the  horse,  his  sensing  of  danger  by  sound,  smell 
and  even  touch,  is  marvellous;  and  while  in  the  main  he 

255 


HOME-MAKING  AND  ITS  PHILOSOPHT 


depends  on  his  master  for  guidance,  yet  in  extreme  peril 
he  often  guides  him.  I  have  sat  on  a  horse  on  picket  in 
the  darkest  night, — still  and  quiet  myself,  I  learned  from 
my  horse  the  meaning  somewhat  of  stillness.  I  have  felt 
his  ears  move  by  the  hand  touch  on  the  crest.  The  rider 
was  on  the  alert  for  spies,  or  sounds  in  the  darkness,  and 
this  feeling  was  communicated  by  touch  or  look  in  the 
turn  of  the  head,  etc.  Horse  and  rider  grew  to  know  each 
other's  needs  and  to  strengthen  each  other's  work.  The 
pricking  of  his  ears  was  a  sure  sign  of  sound  or  alarm,  and 
he  never  failed  to  hear  the  clink  of  the  sabre  of  the  coming 
relief  before  his  rider.  He  knew  even  better  than  I  when 
the  time  for  relief  from  picket  duty  was  up.  May  we  not 
say  of  these  animals,  "They  are  deserving  of  the  greatest 
care,  for  who  knows  but  there  is  a  heaven  in  store  for  those 
who  do  their  best." 

On  the  thirteenth  of  November  three  hundred  men 
went  out  on  picket  on  the  Halifax  Road,  but  Colonel  Cilley 
in  the  evening  called  into  camp  all  the  pickets  east  of  the 
road,  men  from  Companies  C,  D.,  G.,  H.  and  I.,  number- 
ing two  hundred  men.  We  crowed  mildly  over  the  six 
companies  who  were  left  on  picket,  but  at  two  o'clock  next 
morning  reveille  sounded.  Our  dream  of  rest  in  camp 
vanished  and,  cross  and  sleepy,  two  hundred  men  under 
Colonel  Cilley  marched  with  the  division,  via  McCann's, 
Lee's  Mills,  Jerusalem  Plank  Road,  for  the  station,  where 
the  Rebels  were  wagoning  their  supplies  around  the  left 
of  the  army.  The  Rebel  pickets  were  at  Rowanty  Creek. 
The  First  Maine  and  Third  Brigade  stopped  at  the  bridge. 
The  First  and  Second  Brigades  pressed  rapidly  forward 
about  two  miles  to  the  station.  The  enemy  had  two  small 
forts,  with  several  pieces  of  artillery  in  position  on  both  sides 
of  the  railroad  and  Stony  Creek.    Colonel  Greig  ordered 

256 


THANKSGIVING  DINNER 


the  Fourth  Pennsylvania  Cavalry  to  cross  the  creek.  They 
did  it  in  gallant  style  and  under  heavy  fire.  Halting  a 
moment  to  re-form  they  charged  down  the  railroad  between 
the  forts,  where  they  dismounted  and  with  revolver  and  saber 
in  hand  dashed  over  the  works,  forcing  the  enemy  to  sur- 
render at  once.  The  regiment  captured  more  than  it  num- 
bered, burned  all  the  Rebel  stores,  the  station  and  high 
bridge,  and  in  twenty  minutes  returned  with  the  prisoners. 
Our  men  were  rested  and  in  good  trim.  It  had  to  be  done 
with  a  dash.  Hampton's  headquarters  was  only  four 
miles  away.  On  the  passing  of  the  four  brigades  with 
prisoners,  the  First  Maine  stripped  the  bridge  they  held 
and  burned  it.  In  the  distance  came  the  Rebels  in  force, 
but  the  Third  Brigade  poured  canister  into  their  columns. 
The  Twenty-first  Pennsylvania  Cavalry  were  rear  guard  but 
they  were  pressed  and  ran  by  us  because  their  ammunition 
was  exhausted.  We  were  ordered  to  take  their  place  as 
rear  guard,  and  with  our  sixteen  repeaters  we  made  the 
Southern  cavalry  behave  more  respectfully.  The  enemy 
used  to  taunt  us  with  the  cry  of  "Beef,"  referring  to  the 
twenty-three  hundred  cattle  they  drove  from  Sycamore 
church.  After  this  our  cry  was  "Stony  Creek,"  or  "A 
Roland  for  an  Oliver." 

We  got  into  camp  at  half-past  eleven  that  night  on  the 
seventh  of  December.  The  other  six  companies  of  our 
regiment,  whom  we  left  on  picket,  were  ordered  into  the 
saddle,  with  four  days'  rations  and  thirty  pounds  of  forage, 
and  they  went  down  the  Weldon  railway,  where  a  battle 
was  brought  on.  The  First  Maine  was  ordered  to  the 
support.  Leaving  the  cooking  utensils,  overcoats,  every- 
thing but  rifles,  we  advanced  on  foot  over  the  brow  of  a  hill, 
and  Captain  Myrick's  battalion  charged  and  checked  the 
advance  of  the  enemy.    The  boys  will  remember  the  enemy's 

257 


HOME-MAKING  AND  ITS  PHILOSOPHY 


sharpshooters  showing  themselves  about  buildings  and  at 
the  edge  of  the  woods,  and  our  routing  them  out.  We 
were  not  relieved  until  dark,  had  had  nothing  to  eat  since 
the  night  before,  and  little  prospect  now  of  getting  our 
rations  and  overcoats,  though  We  were  cold  and  hungry. 
We  marched  a  short  distance  and  were  ordered  to  remain 
for  the  night  in  the  woods.  There  was  strong  language 
used  on  this  occasion.  But  there  we  were  and  there  we 
must  stay.  Fires  Were  started.  The  men  walked  about, 
and  sometimes  would  lie  down  in  cob  fashion  in  tiers  two 
or  three  deep,  but  the  cold  and  general  discomfort  prevented 
sleep.  In  the  night  it  began  to  snow.  Some  of  the  men 
crawled  under  a  big  tarpaulin  and  in  the  morning  found  it 
and  themselves  frozen  to  the  ground.  There  had  not  even 
been  a  picket  shot  through  the  night.  At  sunrise  We  were 
ordered  into  picket  line  without  breakfast,  where  we  remained 
an  hour,  and  were  then  withdrawn  and  marched  to  our 
horses  and  I  do  not  think  the  men,  who  were  now  like  tigers, 
could  have  been  kept  from  breakfast  by  all  the  moral  strength 
of  the  army.  After  breakfast  we  felt  better,  although  it 
was  still  raining,  and  we  stood  around  shivering  until  after- 
noon, when  the  regiment  started  on  the  march.  We  hoped 
to  camp,  but  instead  went  on  to  Halifax  Road  near  Wyatt 
Farm,  where  we  stopped  all  night  as  a  picket  reserve,  with 
horses  saddled,  but  got  some  sleep.  The  Union  lines  had 
now  been  extended  ten  miles,  and  Grant's  railroad  had 
been  built  up  close  to  them.  We  went  back  to  winter 
quarters,  where  we  had  a  long  rest. 

On  March  25  we  were  awakened  by  heavy  cannonading 
off  to  our  right.  In  a  few  minutes  we  were  ordered  to 
"saddle  up"  and  go  to  the  front;  and  when  we  arrived 
opposite  Fort  Steadman  we  met  a  squad  with  two  thousand 
Rebel  prisoners,  just  captured.    The  Rebels  actually  took 

258 


THANKSGIVING  DINNER 


the  Fort  and  occupied  it,  but  the  Union  troops  re-took  it 
and  made  them  prisoners.  We  were  out  of  camp  two 
days  this  time,  roughing  it  as  before,  without  blankets. 

The  spring  campaign  was  now  imminent.  Many  changes 
in  command  were  made.  Our  company  was  led  by  Captain 
Myrick  and  First  Lieutenant  George  F.  Jewett.  In  the  win- 
ter of  1908,  I,  with  my  son  Chipman,  had  the  pleasure  of  tak- 
ing dinner  with  Mr.  Jewett  and  his  interesting  family,  when 
we  recalled  the  scenes  and  incidents  on  the  fields  of  battle 
of  forty-four  years  ago.  We  refreshed  our  memories,  and 
the  occasion  was  of  exceeding  interest  to  me  who  for  the 
first  time  since  the  war  had  met  any  of  my  comrades.  There 
came  back  to  us,  as  we  talked,  the  old  strength  of  the  tie 
of  comradeship,  and  although  I  live  in  Canada  and  love 
my  country  best,  we  are  comrades  and  friends  for  life. 
Ties  and  friendships  such  as  these  are  worth  much  between 
the  nations,  and  have  their  peace  value. 


259 


CHAPTER  VI 


THE  FINAL  CAMPAIGN 

ON  Tuesday,  March  29,  1865,  we  were  ordered  to  be 
ready  to  move  with  the  division  at  six  o'clock  the 
next  morning.  The  strength  of  our  regiment  now 
was  four  hundred  and  ninety-two  men  with  nineteen  officers. 
We  were  leaving  our  winter  quarters  and  were  entering 
upon  a  spring  campaign  that  promised  exciting  and  steady 
fighting.  We  were  placed  under  a  new  and  untried  com- 
mander, Gen.  George  Crooke.  It  is  worth  much  to  have  a 
tried  commander,  and  one  that  the  men  are  anxious  to  follow. 
The  cavalry  service  is  a  hard  one.  That  night  it  rained 
and  the  next  day  was  wet  and  cold.  We  did  not  go  out  of 
our  winter  quarters  in  a  very  enthusiastic  mood.  While 
we  were  waiting  in  line  we  saw  a  force  advancing,  and  the 
flag  of  Sheridan's  headquarters,  and  then  "Little  Phil" 
himself  and  staff.  Cheers  rent  the  air  and  distrust  dis- 
appeared. We  did  not  know  what  was  In  store  for  us,  nor 
did  we  really  care,  providing  Sheridan  was  at  the  head. 
We  knew  nothing  of  General  Grant's  plans. 

The  march  that  day  was  cold  and  cheerless.  We 
bivouacked  at  Dinwiddie  Court  House.  The  next  morning 
was  wet  and  drizzly,  and  the  roads  were  fearfully  bad. 
The  next  day,  Friday,  March  31,  it  was  still  raining  at  nine 
o'clock.  We  were  ordered  into  the  saddle.  "Go  to  the 
aid  of  the  pickets,"  was  the  order  to  Colonel  Cilley.  The 
regiment  rode  a  mile  or  more  and  drew  up  in  line  in  a  large 
open  field  behind  rising  ground.  On  the  right  was  the 
road  and  beyond  it  pine  woods,  with  no  undergrowth.  At 
the  foot  of  the  hill  the  road  ran  into  woods  for  three-fourths 
of  a  mile  on  a  level  way.  In  front  could  be  seen  only  the 
level  woods.    To  the  left,  in  the  distance,  we  saw  the  long 

260 


THE  FINAL  CAMPAIGN 


serpentine  form  of  the  creek,  full  to  overflowing  and  like 
a  running  river.  The  sedgy  lowlands  could  scarcely  be 
crossed  at  this  season.  In  this  opening  we  were  ordered 
to  dismount  for  inspection  of  arms,  then  to  remount 
and  march  down  hill  in  force,  crossing  the  stream  by  wading 
the  horses.  We  received  the  order,  "Prepare  to  fight  on 
foot;  deploy  as  skirmishers;  advance."  The  Rebel  pickets 
were  in  the  woods  and  fired  a  few  shots  at  our  advance. 
Our  cartridge  boxes  were  filled.  We  advanced  to  the  edge 
of  the  woods  on  the  farther  side,  and  there  we  saw  the 
enemy's  infantry  advancing  on  the  double  quick.  A  troop 
of  Rebel  cavalry  dashed  down  the  road  and  through  the 
woods  behind  us  and  up  the  hill  where  we  had  our  inspec- 
tion. Company  M.  was  lying  low  behind  the  brow  of  the 
hill,  and  the  cavalry  received  a  sudden  check  from  their 
quick  repeating-rifles.  Thirty  men,  with  their  colonel, 
dropped  from  their  horses,  while  the  rest  quickly  fled.  (See 
engraving.)  But  the  skirmishers  fell  back  to  the  creek  and 
plunged  into  it  under  a  peppering  hail  of  fire.  The  water 
carried  us  off  our  feet  in  many  places.  It  was  here  my 
tentmate,  Charles  Alexander,  called  to  me,  "I  am  shot/' 
and  sank  in  the  stream.  Poor  fellow,  I  would  have  helped 
him  had  it  been  possible.  He  was  a  couple  of  rods  or  so 
farther  up  the  stream.  As  soon  as  possible  we  were  over 
the  turbulent  stream  and  lying  low  behind  a  rail  fence  as 
breastworks.  We  used  our  repeaters  to  good  effect  to  hold 
the  enemy  at  bay  with  the  creek  between  us.  After  we 
had  dismounted,  every  fourth  man  took  Nos.  i,  2  and  3 
of  the  horses  with  his  own  to  the  rear  out  of  fire.  Our 
sabers  and  our  haversacks  with  rations  were  strapped  to 
our  saddles,  but  we  carried  our  water  canteens  on  our 
shoulders.  The  firing  was  continued  all  day  on  both  sides. 
Our  ammunition  was  running  low,  and  the  ammunition 

261 


HOME-MAKING  AND  ITS  PHILOSOPHY 


wagons  were  stuck  in  the  mud  and  were  slow  in  coming. 
About  four  o'clock  the  Rebel  infantry  charged  across  the 
stream,  and  we  fell  slowly  back.  I  had  used  my  last  cart- 
ridge. The  bullets  fell  about  us  and  struck  in  the  forest 
leaves  at  our  feet.  The  sounds  "Ziz,  ziz,  zip,"  were  all 
about  us,  and  still  we  did  not  seem  to  mind. 

Some  feel  they  will  not  be  shot  and  carry  themselves  in 
poise — a  sort  of  charmed  life,  if  you  will — at  least  they  feel 
so.  I  never  once  felt  during  one  and  a  half  years'  service 
any  danger  of  being  shot.  I  never  wrote  this  to  my  mother, 
lest  I  should  be  regarded  as  presumptuous,  and  I  do  not 
know  that  I  ever  spoke  of  it  to  any  one.  It  was  simply  a 
matter  of  feeling.  In  some  vague  way  I  felt  I  had  a  work 
to  do  in  life.  I  feel  so  still.  It  did  not  seem  that  the  purpose 
of  my  life  was  to  make  money,  although  I  have  made  thou- 
sands, many  thousands,  since  then,  and  lost  many  thousands 
through  the  cupidity  of  men.  I  have  not  the  least  doubt 
I  am  happier  to-day  than  they.  God  preserved  me  in 
battle.  I  felt  it  then  most  sensibly,  and  though  I  did  not 
surrender  to  Him  then  my  whole  heart,  as  it  was  my  duty 
and  privilege  to  do,  yet  I  acknowledge  His  keeping  me  as 
"in  the  hollow  of  His  hand."  I  am  serving  Him  now 
and  my  single  purpose  is  to  honor  His  name.  This  is 
worth  to  me  a  million  times  more  than  wealth;  and  all  who 
love  our  God  and  Saviour  Jesus  Christ  may  realize  the 
truth  of  this. 

Returning  from  this  digression  to  my  story:  At  six 
o'clock  we  had  fallen  back  to  the  brow  of  the  hill  with 
scattering  shots  still  falling  around  us.  At  that  moment 
the  clouds  about  the  sun  broke  away  as  an  earnest  of  its 
clear  rise  on  the  morrow.  The  trees  were  now  dripping 
with  raindrops.  Up  the  slope  rode  General  Custer  and 
his  staff,  their  arms  glistening  in  the  sunlight.  Fresh 

262 


THE  FINAL  CAMPAIGN 


cheers  rent  the  air  as  they  galloped  to  the  summit  of  the 
hill.  A  few  light  pieces  were  put  into  action.  Away  to 
our  right,  in  plain  view,  Were  the  enemy  manceuvering  their 
forces,  their  arms  sparkling  with  the  raindrops.  A  few  shots 
were  thrown  into  their  ranks  and  they  sought  the  cover  of  the 
woods.  In  all  the  war  I  never  had  so  extensive  and  fine 
a  view  of  the  armies  and  forces  engaged  as  in  this  evening's 
sunlight.  Firing  ceased  for  the  night  and  from  where 
we  were  we  did  not  hear  a  shot  till  morning,  yet  we  had 
ominous  visions  of  the  morrow.  Before  the  darkness  set 
in  we  could  hear  "Dixie"  in  the  distance,  floating  to  us 
from  the  Southern  bands,  while  ours  answered  with  "Yankee 
Doodle."  Then  the  "Bonnie  Blue  Flag,"  and  "Star 
Spangled  Banner,"  or  "John  Brown,"  all  floated  into  the 
night  in  musical  waves,  but  not  a  shot. 

This  thirty-first  of  March  was  crowded  with  incidents, 
and  perhaps  I  had  better  give  some  space  to  to-day's  narra- 
tion before  to-morrow's  work  begins,  for  it  must  not  be 
forgotten  that  this  day's  work  was  simply  feeling  the  enemy's 
position  preparatory  to  a  general  advance  all  along  the  left. 
General  Smith  says  of  the  First  Maine  in  this  day's  work: 
"The  gallant  conduct  of  the  First  Maine  is  deserving  of 
especial  mention."  General  Sheridan's  dispatch  to  General 
Grant  reads:  "The  enemy's  cavalry  attacked  me  to-day 
at  ten  o'clock  on  the  road  coming  in  from  the  west  and  a 
little  north  of  Dinwiddie  Court  House.  The  attack  was 
handsomely  repulsed  by  General  Smith's  brigade  of  Crooke's 
division,  and  the  enemy  driven  across  Chamberlin's  Creek. 
Shortly  after,  the  enemy's  infantry  attacked  the  same  creek 
in  heavy  force  and  drove  our  forces  slowly  in.  The  men 
behaved  splendidly.  Our  loss  in  killed  and  wounded 
will  probably  number  four  hundred  and  fifty  men — very 
few  were  lost  as  prisoners."    Colonel  Cilley  says:  "Down 

263 


HOME-MAKING  AND  ITS  PHILOSOPHY 


into  that  field  went  the  thin  single-rank  line  of  the  First 
Maine  Cavalry  (with  others)  with  their  repeaters  pointed 
at  the  enemy  and  delivering  a  constant,  unremitting  fire. 
Time  and  again  have  I  felt  the  thrill  of  shouting  to  that 
line  of  gallant  men  as  they  went  steadily  forward,  dropping 
here  and  there  along  the  line,  but  making  no  gaps.  We 
could  see  the  heavy  line  of  men  in  the  front  tremble  and 
wave  back  and  forth.  The  head  of  a  column  of  water 
forced  up  in  a  fountain,  when  it  has  reached  its  extreme 
height,  breaks  into  mist  and  drops  on  all  sides,  so  in  this 
column  of  cavalry  the  stream  of  horsemen  kept  pressing  for- 
ward but  its  head  came  no  nearer  to  us.  A  heap  of  men 
and  horses  lay  piled  at  its  head,  while  its  broken  fragments 
fell  back  like  spray."  The  cavalry  which  charged  was  the 
Fifth  North  Carolina,  and  Colonel  McNeil  was  killed 
there  that  day. 

Chaplain  Merrill  says:  "Rebel  prisoners,  officers  and 
men,  declared  that  for  bull-dog  obstinacy,  tenacity  and  reck- 
less daring,  the  fighting  of  the  First  Maine  Cavalry  ex- 
celled anything  they  had  ever  witnessed.  And  it  was  almost 
impossible  to  convince  them  that  the  force  actually  against 
them  was  so  small.  They  were  fully  persuaded  that  they 
had  a  sufficient  force  to  annihilate  or  capture  double  the 
number  of  men  we  had." 

Some  of  the  officers  and  men  were  busy  the  day  before 
sewing  up  what  money  they  had  in  their  clothing,  in  case 
they  should  be  taken  prisoners  and  should  need  it.  The 
adjutant  asked  a  soldier  what  time  it  was.  "Twenty 
minutes  to  one,"  was  the  answer.  "In  four  hours  the 
fRebs'  will  be  making  one  of  their  thundering  sunset 
charges,"  and  so  it  proved  that  day.  At  the  creek  there 
was  a  good  deal  of  conversation  between  the  men  stationed 
behind  the  trees  in  the  woods.    There  was  a  lot  of  chaffing, 

264 


THE  FINAL  CAMPAIGN 


sneering  and  joking.  At  a  shot  fired  into  the  woods  a  Rebel 
sent  back  a  defiance  with  words,  "You  uns  better  keep 
your  ammunition,  you  may  want  it  before  night.' '  A  piece 
of  good  advice  indeed.  All  the  day  the  enemy  had  artillery 
shelling  our  position,  while  ours  did  not  get  up  through  the 
mud  until  late  in  the  afternoon.  Colonel  Cilley  halted 
a  man  going  to  the  rear,  "What  are  you  going  there  for?'* 
and  for  answer  he  held  up  his  shattered  hand.  "Give 
your  cartridges  to  some  of  the  men,  and  God  bless  you." 
Corporal  Somes  of  my  Company  K.  had  a  shell  stuck  in  his 
carbine.  Meeting  the  sergeant-major  he  asked  him  for 
his  knife,  and  sat  down  among  flying  bullets  to  clear  the 
empty  shell.  In  this  he  failed  and  was  handed  the  repeater 
of  a  fallen  comrade,  and  held  his  place  with  his  face  to  the 
foe.  Colonel  Cilley's  hat  was  knocked  off,  but  there  was 
no  time  to  pick  it  up  until  evening,  when  an  orderly  was 
sent  to  find  it  and  bring  it  to  the  colonel.  A  bullet  hole 
was  through  it.  In  officers  we  lost:  Lieutenant  Stayner, 
killed;  Lieutenant  Coming,  who  died;  Captain  Howe, 
Major  Chadbourne  and  Lieutenant  Fuller,  wounded. 

Colonel  Cilley  tells  of  asking  a  skirmisher,  "  How  many 
rounds  of  ammunition  have  you?"  "Forty."  "Hold  this 
spot  till  you  have  used  it  all  on  them,"  and  he  did,  though 
the  Rebels  passed  him  on  both  sides,  and  he  was  obliged 
to  remain  there  until  night  and  the  enemy  was  driven  back. 
We  got  a  good  sleep  that  night,  and  we  needed  it  after  a 
real  hard  day's  work. 

We  awoke  the  next  morning  quite  refreshed.  The 
strength  of  our  regiment  was  dwindling.  This  day  it 
numbered  fifteen  officers  and  three  hundred  and  ninety- 
three  men.  We  took  no  active  part  in  to-day's  fighting, 
except  that  we  were  lying  flat  on  the  ground  in  the  third 
line  of  battle,  with  bullets  whizzing  over  us.  Although 

265 


HOME-MAKING  AND  ITS  PHILOSOPHY 


it  was  a  fine  day  while  the  Battle  of  Five  Forks  was  in 
progress,  most  of  the  time  the  smoke  was  so  thick  we  could 
not  see  a  rod  in  advance,  and  the  roar  of  musketry  was 
deafening  in  the  extreme.  Lying  as  we  were,  and  not 
knowing  the  instant  we  would  be  ordered  into  battle,  I  had 
a  good  opportunity  to  study  the  different  temperaments 
of  men  in  this  most  trying  state  of  expectancy.  I  will  refer 
to  myself  here.  I  was  perfectly  aware  of  the  danger,  and 
at  no  moment  would  I  have  been  surprised  had  I  been  hit, 
and  this  was  the  general  thought  and  feeling.  I  did  not 
feel,  however,  that  I  would  be.  I  have  no  reason  to  give 
for  this  unless  it  be  the  very  vague  one  that  there  were 
so  many  reasons  why  I  should  live.  My  family  and  relatives 
were  earnestly  interceding  on  my  behalf.  There  were 
thoughts  in  my  own  mind  which  seemed  to  indicate  that  I 
would  be  preserved  to  live  on.  I  was  there  to  obey  and 
do  my  duty  and  I  would  not  flinch  from  it.  And  then 
there  were  my  mother's  prayers  for  her  boy.  I  cannot 
say  I  ever  rushed  impetuously  into  danger,  but  aimed  to 
keep  abreast  of  my  comrades.  As  we  lay  there  I  felt  no 
especial  alarm,  certainly  not  a  tithe  of  what  I  have  since 
felt  in  the  hands  of  designing  men,  whom  I  felt  to  be  com- 
mitted to  the  service  of  the  devil.  On  my  right  was  a 
Frenchman,  who  was  naturally  excitable  and  known  as 
such.  He  was  very  much  agitated  and  in  constant  motion. 
I  said,  "Keep  still."  He  said,  "I  can't  control  my  feelings; 
I  have  tried  to,  but  I  can't.    I  wish  we  were  out  of  this." 

Another  man,  an  Irishman  and  a  good  soldier,  was 
joking  some.  I  cannot  recall  the  joke,  but  upon  the  whole 
the  line  was  sober  and  thoughtful,  and  I  well  believe  many 
a  silent  prayer  went  up  to  God  that  day  from  men  in  our 
regiment  to  preserve  and  keep  them,  as  we  know  He  did, 
not  only  that  day  but  through  the  war. 

266 


THE  FINAL  CAMPAIGN 


The  battle  of  Five  Forks  was  an  assault  on  the  fortifica- 
tions and  earthworks  which  the  Union  army  eventually 
carried,  and  that  day  four  thousand  prisoners  were  taken, 
who  were  marched  by  us  in  fours.  As  they  passed  many 
jokes  were  exchanged,  but  I  could  easily  observe  in  them 
a  discouraged  spirit,  with  clothes  much  worn  and  hungry 
looks  showing  what  was  being  endured  in  a  waning  cause. 
Rations  were  served  at  once  to  these  prisoners. 


267 


CHAPTER  VII 


THE  FALL  OF  RICHMOND  AND  PETERSBURG 

ON  April  2  our  regiment  was  on  picket.  On  the 
Sabbath,  April  3,  as  the  result  of  the  battle  of  Five 
Forks  and  of  our  retention  of  the  enemy's  works 
and  main  railway  running  into  the  South,  Petersburg  and 
Richmond  were  evacuated,  and  the  entire  Confederate 
forces  started  on  the  march  southward.  Our  armies  were 
now  on  the  march  night  and  day,  with  Sheridan's  cavalry 
in  the  lead,  to  cut  across  the  country  and  head  off  General 
Lee's  army.  The  roads  were  in  a  frightful  state.  Great 
sloughs  were  soon  found  everywhere,  and  horses,  mules 
and  wagons  sank  in  these  never  to  be  seen  again.  I  saw 
many  poor  animals  with  only  the  head  above  the  mud. 
But  the  spirit  of  victory  was  in  the  air,  and  he  was  dull 
indeed  who  did  not  rejoice.  The  marching  on  that  Sabbath 
was  something  simply  beyond  description,  over  rough 
roads,  sloughs,  swamps  and  fields.  About  dark,  after  we 
had  marched  an  hour  or  two,  we  drew  up  into  line  and 
were  ordered  to  go  into  camp  for  the  night.  Tents  were 
pitched,  coffee  set  to  boil,  part  of  the  men  had  turned  in 
and  the  remainder  were  getting  ready,  when  orders  came 
to  saddle  and  pack  and  be  ready  to  move  out  at  once.  Then 
there  was  growling  of  the  mastiff  kind,  but  all  of  no  use, 
for  there  was  the  order,  and  every  man  knew  there  Was  no 
other  way  but  to  obey;  but  after  the  growl  was  over  it  was 
easier  to  obey.  We  were  as  mad  and  cross  a  lot  that  night 
as  was  ever  seen.  After  a  weary  march  of  about  three 
hours  we  drew  up  in  a  field,  about  one  o'clock,  with  the 
order  "Halt.3'  We  dismounted  and  stood  by  our  horses. 
Afterwards  we  lay  down  in  front  of  the  horses,  with  their 
bridle  reins  in  our  hands,  and  soon  all  were  fast  asleep. 

268 


THE  FALL  OF  RICHMOND  AND  PETERSBURG 


At  three  We  Were  in  the  saddle  again.  The  roads  were 
better — not  so  many  troops  had  been  over  them.  We  were 
able  to  gather  some  food  and  forage  in  the  forenoon.  We 
learned  that  General  Lee's  army  was  retreating  in  haste, 
on  a  road  running  parallel  to  the  one  we  were  on,  in  the 
direction  of  Danville.  Sheridan's  scouts  were  rushing 
about  everywhere,  coming  and  going.  At  noon  we  reached 
the  Danville  railroad,  where  we  halted  two  hours,  which 
we  spent  in  cooking  and  eating.  The  regiment  started 
again  on  the  road  leading  to  Richmond,  as  it  was  under- 
stood Lee's  army  was  coming  that  way.  We  reached 
Jetersville  at  six  o'clock  and  were  ordered  into  the  skirmish 
line  in  a  hurry.  We  could  not  get  along  fast  enough  to 
suit  the  officers.  What  did  it  all  mean  ?  We  heard  no 
firing.  We  saw  Sheridan's  flag  floating  in  the  distance. 
We  were  ordered  to  throw  up  a  breastwork  of  fence  rails, 
and  we  then  settled  down  to  wait.  We  remained  here 
until  after  dark  without  firing  a  shot,  and  then  went  on 
picket  for  the  night.  We  did  not  move  until  Wednesday, 
April  5,  at  noon.  Meanwhile  a  heavy  infantry  attack 
was  made  on  Lee's  retreating  army  and  the  Union  forces 
captured  five  pieces  of  artillery,  with  prisoners  and  wagons 
in  large  numbers.  After  receiving  our  orders  we  advanced 
at  a  trot,  and  reached  the  advance  brigades  at  Paineville. 
These  brigades  were  in  the  midst  of  heavy  fighting — at 
one  time  they  were  almost  surrounded.  The  different 
regiments  were  posted  in  the  best  positions  possible,  and 
two  of  them  charged  the  enemy  and  captured  a  battle  flag. 

We  now  marched  back  to  where  we  had  been  in  the 
morning  and  were  sent  out  on  picket.  Soon  the  enemy 
came  upon  us.  We  were  on  foot  and  kept  changing  posi- 
tion rapidly  all  the  afternoon.  The  bullets  were  flying, 
but  there  was  no  heavy  firing  in  the  latter  part  of  the  day. 

269 


HOME-MAKING  AND  ITS  PHILOSOPHY 


At  night  we  hastily  threw  up  rail  breastworks  near  where 
we  were  the  night  before,  and  at  nine  o'clock  went  into 
camp  excepting  companies  that  Were  on  picket. 

In  the  early  morning  "Boots  and  saddles"  sounded, 
and  we  moved  out  as  quickly  as  possible.  The  situation 
now  began  to  grow  exciting.  From  the  various  rumors 
afloat  the  men  gathered  enough  to  know  that  Lee's  army 
was  in  full  retreat,  but  would  fight  to  the  last  ditch.  Sheri- 
dan got  possession  of  the  Danville  road  before  Lee  could 
get  by,  and  he  was  compelled  to  change  his  course  to 
Lynchburg. 

On  the  morning  of  April  6  the  men  awoke  in  fine  spirits. 
There  was  now  an  early  prospect  of  the  end.  The  back- 
bone of  the  Rebellion  was  broken,  had  been  broken  by  our 
army,  and  was  beyond  healing.  It  only  remained  to  capture 
Lee  and  his  army,  or  whip  them  until  they  knew  that  further 
resistance  was  useless. 

Our  regiment  remained  quietly  on  the  hill  behind 
Jetersville.  We  were  watching  the  various  infantry  com- 
mands as  they  moved  in  different  directions,  and  General 
Smith  remarked,  as  we  moved  out,  "To-day  will  see  some- 
thing big  in  the  crushing  of  the  Rebellion." 

It  was  eight  o'clock  and  we  were  in  the  saddle,  marching 
down  the  railroad.  We  went  a  short  distance  and  turned 
at  right  angles  in  the  direction  of  Lynchburg.  The  air 
was  fresh  and  invigorating,  and  the  trees  were  springing 
into  leaf  and  the  beauty  and  fragrance  of  spring.  We 
were  now  on  a  good  road  that  ran  over  high  ground,  and 
through  the  gaps  in  the  woods  we  could  see  far  to  the  right 
in  the  direction  of  Lee's  army.  Sometimes  portions  of 
Lee's  trains  were  visible  and  the  distance  between  us  grew 
gradually  less  by  reason  of  the  converging  roads.  After 
proceeding  a  few  miles  the  second  and  third  brigades  turned 

270 


THE  FALL  OF  RICHMOND  AND  PETERSBURG 


short  to  the  right,  marching  direct  towards  the  enemy's 
trains  near  Deatonsville.  Our  regiment  kept  passing  pack 
trains,  worn-out  horses,  colored  servants,  all  off  on  the 
roadside  to  wait  until  the  righting  lines  had  passed  this 
point,  for  these  only  were  needed  now.  Soon  we  reached 
the  brigade  headquarters,  behind  a  piece  of  woods. 

General  Smith  sent  a  staff  officer  to  our  colonel  with  the 
order,  "Turn  to  the  right,  charge  through  the  woods  and 
get  to  the  Rebel  train  if  possible."  This  was  at  half-past 
eleven.  We  galloped  through  the  open  wood  in  fours. 
We  were  soon  into  a  swamp,  the  horses  up  to  the  knees. 
Some  got  through,  many  did  not.  Many  of  the  horses 
fell  over  in  the  swamp,  and  it  proved  the  most  dangerous 
place  it  had  been  our  lot  to  fall  into.  A  sergeant  was  sent 
to  hurry  us  through  and  re-form  on  the  farther  side.  We 
were  doing  our  best  with  the  men  who  got  through.  The 
colonel  ordered  to  make  the  charge,  for  there  was  no  time 
to  be  lost.  The  men  ran  against  a  fence,  but  they  could 
not  get  over.  They  fired  several  volleys  and  the  enemy 
gave  them  more  than  an  equivalent.  By  this  time  most 
of  the  men  delayed  in  the  swamps  had  got  through  and 
rushed  to  our  assistance,  but  the  enemy  from  across  a  ravine 
in  the  woods  poured  in  showers  of  bullets  and  we  had  to 
retire.  We  lost  here  quite  a  number  of  men  and  officers, 
Captains  Heald,  Little,  Freese  and  Bailey.  It  was  a  sheer 
waste  of  life,  and  we  went  back  over  the  hill  from  which 
we  advanced. 

At  every  crossroad  heavy  dashes  of  infantry  and  cavalry 
were  made  upon  the  enemy. 

In  the  afternoon  we  charged  the  enemy  and  made  large 
captures,  both  of  prisoners  and  munitions  of  war.  At 
this  place  we  found  a  barn  of  corn,  and  every  man  got  two 
feeds  apiece  for  the  horses  before  we  went  into  camp  for 

271 


HOME-MAKING  AND  ITS  PHILOSOPHY 


the  night.  The  horses  had  a  fine  feed,  but  most  of  the  men 
went  without  supper.  The  repulse  of  the  morning  was 
more  than  balanced  by  the  success  of  the  afternoon. 

We  had  a  few  hours  of  sound  sleep  and  at  half-past 
six  were  again  in  the  saddle.  The  infantry  was  on  the 
move  and  there  was,  as  usual  when  they  were  in  good  spirits, 
singing,  laughing  and  joking. 

However  the  infantry  were  a  little  put  out  at  giving 
the  cavalry  the  road  and  being  compelled  themselves  to 
take  the  sides,  which  were  rough  and  hard  to  march  over. 
On  the  road  were  ail  sorts  of  castaway  munitions  of  war, 
also  a  few  dead  men  and  horses,  and  some  others  abandoned 
and  quite  worn  out.  About  eight  o'clock  we  reached 
Briery  Creek,  across  which  the  enemy  made  a  stand,  and 
at  the  right  had  fired  High  bridge  across  the  Appomattox. 
We  were  dismounted  and  sent  into  the  woods  to  dislodge 
them  with  our  sixteen-shooters.  We  forded  the  creek 
and  then  with  the  whole  battalion  made  a  charge,  com- 
pletely routing  them.  Our  brigade  pursued  them  over 
the  rough  ground.  In  one  place  we  had  to  dismount  and 
lead  the  horses  down  an  almost  perpendicular  hill.  After 
three  or  four  miles  the  enemy  made  another  stand.  We 
held  the  road,  and  our  brigade  and  artillery  were  engaged. 
We  expected  every  moment  to  be  ordered  to  advance. 
Soon  General  Smith  rode  over  to  Colonel  Cilley  and  said: 
"We  have  driven  them  out  of  the  town;  charge  in,  capture 
all  the  prisoners  you  can."  Our  first  order  was  "Forward," 
and  as  we  came  on  the  edge  of  Farmville,  Colonel  Cilley's 
voice  rang  out,  "Charge,"  and  horses  and  men  sprang 
forward,  wild  with  excitement.  Just  then  a  Rebel  battery 
opened  and  shells  went  screaming  over  our  heads.  Through 
the  town  was  only  the  work  of  a  few  minutes — one  battalion 
going  one  street,  another  battalion  a  second  street.  On 

272 


THE  FALL  OF  RICHMOND  AND  PETERSBURG 


the  other  side  of  the  town  were  posted  their  infantry,  who 
opened  on  us  with  a  smart  volley  that  whizzed  over  our 
heads.  It  was  a  wonder  we  were  not  all  mowed  down. 
We  cleared  our  front  and  advanced  up  the  hill  behind  the 
town,  skirmishing  and  capturing  prisoners. 

Here  the  regiment  halted  and  a  detail  was  sent  out  for 
forage  and  rations.  The  town  contributed  plentifully  to 
give  us  the  best  supper  we  had  had  in  Virginia.  Our  band 
paraded  the  streets,  playing  patriotic  airs  few  of  them  had 
heard  for  five  years.  The  citizens  looked  on  with  all  sorts 
of  eyes  and  all  sorts  of  mouths.  General  Smith  had  applied 
to  General  Crooke  for  permission  to  stop  and  forage,  saying, 
"My  men  have  been  galloping  over  the  hills  all  day  and 
we  want  forage."  General  Smith's  orderly  was  sent  with 
an  order  to  Colonel  Clarke  and  was  captured.  A  few 
days  later  and  after  Lee  had  surrendered  the  orderly  was 
liberated.  He  rode  up  and  saluted  General  Smith  and 
politely  said,  "I  could  not  find  Colonel  Clarke,  sir,"  just 
as  though  he  had  been  gone  an  hour. 

This  day  we  lost  one  killed  and  had  four  wounded.  We 
turned  in  for  a  sleep,  which  we  greatly  needed,  and  were 
ready  to  move  at  daybreak,  but  we  did  not  start  until  nine, 
when  we  went  to  Pomplin's  Station  where  there  was  a  halt, 
and  then  the  real  march  began.  We  were  tired  with  so 
much  severe  work,  but  in  good  spirits.  The  regiment 
halted  at  dusk  a  short  distance  from  Appomattox  Station 
to  allow  a  column  of  troops  to  pass  on  a  crossroad.  Here 
a  detail  was  sent  out  to  get  something  for  both  men 
and  horses.  While  We  were  waiting  we  heard  the  whistle 
of  an  engine.  General  Custer  had  charged  into  Appomattox 
Station  and  captured  three  trainloads  of  supplies.  One 
of  the  boys  took  charge  of  the  engine  and  ran  the  train. 
Rations  now  were  in  abundance  for  all.    We  went  a  mile 

273 


HOME-MAKING  AND  ITS  PHILOSOPHY 


further  and  were  ordered  to  unsaddle  and  go  into  the  camp. 
The  order  was  welcomed  and  obeyed  with  alacrity  by  all. 
We  were  asleep  before  nine  o'clock. 

Suddenly  we  were  ordered  to  saddle  and  pack  and  be 
ready  to  move  at  once.  We  were  soon  in  the  saddle  and 
advanced  a  short  distance  to  hold  a  road.  We  felt  that  we 
were  being  shoved  a  little  too  hard.  We  soon  found  the 
enemy's  pickets.  About  midnight  the  order  was  given  in 
low  tones,  "Prepare  to  fight  on  foot."  This  order  was 
obeyed  as  quietly  as  possible.  We  were  taken  across  the 
road  to  the  brow  of  a  hill  and  placed  in  line.  The  enemy's 
firing  ceased  when  we  stopped  advancing,  save  an  occasional 
crack  of  a  rifle  and  hum  of  a  bullet  that  seemed  fiercer  in 
the  stillness.  We  carried  rails  and  built  ourselves  breast- 
works. At  one  o'clock  we  rested  on  our  arms.  General 
Sheridan's  evening  report  was:  "I  think  General  Lee's 
in  a  tight  place,  and  may  try  to  get  out  to-night  by  the 
Lynchburg  Pike."  We  were  then  on  Clover  Hill,  relieving 
Custer's  men  on  picket. 


274 


CHAPTER  VIII 


LEE'S  SURRENDER 

A  PRIL  9,  1865 — memorable  day!  In  the  gray  dawn 
y  \  of  a  Sabbath  morning  the  enemy  sent  us  a  "good 
morning"  that  suddenly  aroused  the  blue-coated 
sleepers  to  action.  A  lively  skirmish  fire  began,  which 
lasted  an  hour  or  more.  The  daylight  revealed  the  position 
to  the  men.  We  of  the  First  Maine  Regiment  were  the 
holders  of  the  road  of  advance  against  the  enemy.  From 
my  position  I  was  able  to  see  the  Rebel  army  in  the  valley. 
Our  skirmish,  or  picket,  line  was  very  thin.  We  could  see 
a  body  of  the  enemy's  troops  moving  on  the  left  and  advanc- 
ing. We  saw  General  Sheridan  riding  in  full  view  of  the 
situation  and  looking  apparently  unconcerned.  The  Rebel 
line  in  front  of  us  grew  stronger  and  they  began  to  press. 
All  felt  it.  I  felt  it.  We  must  not  give  way  an  inch.  Our 
officer  said,  "Hold  them  back."  Our  infantry  were  coming 
right  along  in  two  columns,  black  and  white,  side  by  side. 
Our  thin  line  was  slowly  retiring,  when  a  black  regiment 
arrived  and  passed  through  our  deployed  pickets.  We 
were  glad  to  see  them.  I  shouted,  "Give  it  to  them,  boys," 
loud  enough  to  be  heard  by  a  hundred  comrades,  and  then 
dropped  the  butt  of  my  rifle  to  the  ground  to  rest.  As  they 
went  forward  to  the  front  I  looked  around  and  saw  General 
Smith  sitting  on  his  horse  and  smiling  at  my  loud  remark. 
It  required  a  moment  in  the  excitement  to  take  the  situation 
in,  but  I  gave  my  salute  while  the  smile  was  lingering. 
It  was  a  very  innocent  and  simple  thing  on  my  part,  but 
my  earnestness  of  speech  seems  to  have  brought  me  my 
first  promotion — at  least  it  soon  followed. 

The  pickets  had  ceased  firing  and  all  was  still — the 
stillness  of  a  Sabbath  morning — in  both  armies  as  they 

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HOME-MAKING  AND  ITS  PHILOSOPHY 


stood  face  to  face  in  open  view.  An  hour  passed  and  yet 
all  was  still.  And  then  it  was  rumored  General  Grant 
and  General  Lee  had  met  under  a  flag  of  truce  and  talked 
capitulation.  Yet  the  men  did  not  know  whether  to  believe 
it  or  not.  We  were  holding  the  only  road  to  Lynchburg 
over  which  General  Lee  could  hope  to  pass.  This  was 
talked  of  in  an  undertone.  We  held  the  post  of  honor; 
this  was  the  feeling  of  all  our  men. 

Another  hour  goes  by.  Will  Lee  surrender  ?  Is  the 
fighting  over  ?  Can  it  be  that  the  end  is  in  sight  and  all 
hardship  and  marches  past  ?  And  our  thoughts  began  to 
turn  towards  home  and  loved  ones.  We  were  ordered 
to  our  horses  and  into  camp. 

The  next  thing  we  were  startled  by  the  roar  of  cannon 
and  our  hopes  began  to  sink.  Then  came  a  report  that  it 
was  a  salute  in  honor  of  Lee's  surrender,  but  still  there 
was  a  doubt.  Then  came  the  order  to  saddle  and  mount, 
followed  by  orders  to  ride  through  the  camp  of  our  late 
enemy  quietly  and  without  a  word.  General  Lee  had 
surrendered  his  whole  army  to  General  Grant  without 
conditions.  Little  Phil  Sheridan  stood  by  the  roadside 
and  the  men  gave  three  cheers,  as  they  passed,  to  this 
victorious  soldier  and  cavalry  leader.  A  second  thought 
on  the  part  of  a  commanding  officer  changed  our  route, 
and  the  First  Maine  Cavalry  saw  no  more  of  the  surrender. 
The  close  of  the  struggle  was  marked  by  magnanimity 
and  the  least  possible  humiliation  to  the  vanquished. 

We  received  letters  from  home  that  Sabbath  morning, 
for  the  mails  had  arrived,  and  we  were  happy  in  writing 
to  say  the  war  was  over  and  we  would  soon  be  home.  My 
dear  mother  Was  more  than  faithful  in  writing,  and  I  wrote 
to  her  every  week  or  two,  or  as  often  as  I  could.  Of  course 
they  had  heard  the  news  before  our  letters  reached  them. 

276 


LEE'S  SURRENDER 


Yes,  they  knew  it  as  quickly  as  we,  but  mother  wanted  it 
from  me — to  hear  from  me  that  the  war  was  over  and  that 
I  was  living.  I  was  one  in  nine  of  the  total  enrollment 
from  the  commencement  to  close,  to  return  alive  and  well 
and  be  mustered  out. 

The  First  Maine  Cavalry,  from  Five  Forks  to  Lee's 
surrender,  was  steadily  in  the  van  in  pursuit  of  the  enemy. 
Our  arms  were  rapid  repeaters  and  effective,  and  gave  us 
an  additional  sense  of  power.  We  had  overtaken  and 
faced  the  Rebel  army  in  its  last  retreat.  Who  fired  the 
last  shot  ?  That  question  has  never  been  answered,  but 
we  were  in  the  firing  line  till  hostilities  ended.  General 
Sheridan  said,  "If  it  had  not  been  for  the  almost  super- 
human strength  and  endurance  of  the  First  Maine  Cavalry 
on  its  flanking  march,  General  Lee  would  somehow  or 
other  have  reached  Lynchburg/'  Be  that  as  it  may,— the 
pluck  and  push  and  leadership  of  the  regiment  in  hard 
places  had  long  before  this  given  it  a  name  that  was  cherished 
and  maintained  to  the  close  of  the  war. 

Some  verses  by  one  of  the  First  Maine  Cavalry  boys  are 
quoted  in  this  connection. 

Upon  that  morn  forty-four  years  ago,  at  the  break  of  day, 

A  force  of  gallant  boys  in  blue  near  Appomattox  lay; 

Along  the  hill  the  blue  line  ran  across  the  Lynchburg  road, 

And  back  and  forth,  with  watchful  eye,  the  faithful  sentry  strode. 

The  orders  were  to  hold  the  road,  and  that  at  any  cost; 
We  did  not  know  if  that  were  done  the  Southern  cause  was  lost; 
Nor  did  we  know  that  single  road  was  Lee's  sole  chance  to  'scape 
From  Sheridan,  who  pushed  him  well  and  caught  him  in  bad  shape. 

With  dawn's  first  light  the  fight  commenced — an  hour  or  two  'twas  waged 
With  little  gain  on  either  side,  and  with  the  cavalry  brigade 
The  Union  troops  engaged;  we  heard  no  firing  on  our  right, 
Nor  yet  upon  our  left — we  stood  alone  in  that  fierce  fight. 

2/7 


HOME-MAKING  AND  ITS  PHILOSOPHY 


At  length  we  saw  down  on  the  left,  a  mile  or  more  away, 
A  line  of  battle  forming  fast — a  line  of  men  in  gray. 

Forward  they  march,  straight  for  the  road,  with  steady  tread  but  slow — 
We  swing  our  line  round  with  the  road,  to  meet  the  flanking  foe. 

The  force  was  full  ten  times  our  own,  and  infantry  beside, 
It  ought  to  drive  us  easily,  and  would,  but  that  the  tide 
Had  turned;  the  banners  of  defeat  hung  round  it  then — 
A  week's  retreat  had  left  but  little  courage  in  those  men. 

"Keep  courage,  boys,  relief's  at  hand!"  the  dusty  stranger  roared, 
"They're  coming  on  two  roads — black  and  white — regular  checker  board!" 
A  moment  proved  his  words  were  true — was  e'er  a  sight  so  good  ? 
A  corps  of  negro  infantry  came  pouring  from  the  wood. 

The  line  is  formed  without  delay,  the  order  is  "Advance!" 
They  charge  across  that  field  as  though  'twere  but  a  merry  dance. 
The  gray  line  breaks,  away  it  goes,  in  spite  of  leaders  brave — 
The  haughty  master's  fleeing  now  before  his  former  slave. 

I  must  give  a  few  more  facts  and  figures  before  my 
story  is  closed.  In  ten  days  our  regiment  lost  in  killed  and 
wounded  one-third  of  its  men  and  one-half  its  officers,  and 
during  this  period  we  were  almost  too  tired  and  too  sleepy 
to  measure  all  we  Were  doing  or  count  the  showers  of  bullets 
we  were  daily  receiving.  The  colored  regiment  who  made 
the  last  charge  on  our  side  had  marched  all  night  long,  and 
were  yet  without  breakfast.  They  were  indeed  heroic. 
General  Smith  makes  special  mention  of  officers  Dagget, 
Hermony,  George  F.  Jewett  and  Terry  of  our  regiment. 
This  cavalry  contingent  was  the  backbone  of  this  brigade. 

Brigadier-General  Smith  was  now  promoted  to  Major- 
General.  He  was  a  favorite  with  the  men.  Colonel  Cilley 
was  promoted  Brigadier-General;  Major  Taylor,  Lieutenant- 
Colonel;  Captains  Myrick,  Hall  and  Freese  were  made 
Brevet-Majors. 

278 


LEE'S  SURRENDER 


April  10,  Monday,  was  an  easy  day.  At  four  o'clock 
in  the  afternoon  we  went  into  camp  near  Prospect  Station 
on  our  way  back.  At  seven  next  morning  we  were  in  the 
saddle,  as  an  escort  to  General  Grant,  and  marched  twenty- 
five  miles  before  four  o'clock  in  the  afternoon.  We  passed 
a  large  number  of  freed  Confederate  prisoners  on  their  way 
to  Richmond.  They  seemed  to  be  in  good  spirits.  One 
of  our  men  said,  "Keep  up  your  courage,  boys;  we  have  got 
your  old  leader  General  Lee  with  us,"  to  which  came  the 
reply,  "Well,  we  have  followed  him  a  good  many  miles 
and  we  are  not  ashamed  to  follow  him  now,"  and  we  admired 
their  spirit. 

On  the  memorable  fourteenth  of  April  Abraham  Lincoln, 
the  President,  was  assassinated.  It  is  impossible  to  describe 
our  feelings  at  the  tidings.  It  was  to  us  a  thunderbolt  out 
of  a  clear  sky.  It  seemed  for  a  while  as  if  the  victory  just 
achieved  was  of  little  account  and  its  political  effect  could 
not  at  all  be  gauged.  The  tragic  event  did  indeed  cast  a 
deep  gloom  over  the  men.  Lincoln's  hold  upon  the  hearts 
of  men  of  the  army  was  marvellous. 

On  Monday,  the  seventeenth,  we  went  to  Petersburg 
and  into  camp.  A  week  later  we  started  on  another  cam- 
paign to  go  to  North  Carolina  to  help  overpower  General 
Johnston  in  command  of  the  Southern  army  there.  Our 
way  was  over  the  Boyden  Plank  Road,  via  Dinwiddie, 
Nottaway,  Meherrin,  Staunton,  Bannister  and  Dan  Rivers 
to  South  Boston,  which  was  reached  on  Friday,  April  28. 
Here  orders  were  received  to  return  to  Petersburg,  which 
we  reached  May  3.  General  Johnston  had  surrendered. 
This  was  a  glorious  march — a  sort  of  pleasure  trip.  The 
weather  was  fine,  and  ail  nature  smiled  in  richest  green, 
for  the  war  had  not  devastated  this  territory.  Foraging  was 
easy  and  pleasant,  and  paid  for  through  the  proper  channel. 

279 


HOME-MAKING  AND  ITS  PHILOSOPHY 


There  was  no  picket  or  guard  duty  to  do,  something  alto- 
gether new  to  us.  Camp  duties  now  grew  irksome;  lonesome, 
homesick  feelings  grew  day  by  day.  We  rode  over  the  old 
battlefields  in  front  of  Petersburg,  but  we  had  had  enough  of 
that,  and  the  days  and  weeks  moved  all  too  slowly.  Soldier- 
ing in  time  of  peace  did  not  suit  us  at  all.  When  were  we 
going  home?  "The  war  is  over,"  we  said,  "why  can't 
we  go  home  ? "  The  weather  was  intensely  hot,  which 
added  to  our  discomfort.  But  it  seemed  transportation 
could  not  be  had. 

Our  two  battalions  were  now  separated  as  shown  by  the 
following  letters. 

"To  Captain  Hall,  First  Maine  Cavalry:  The  General 
commanding  directs  that  you  move  with  your  command 
to  Chesterfield  Court  House  for  permanent  duty.  You  are 
hereby  appointed  permanent  Marshal  of  the  county  and 
will  administer  the  oath  of  allegiance  to  all  entitled  to  it 
who  may  desire  it.  You  will  acquaint  yourself  as  soon  as 
possible  with  the  conditions  and  necessities  of  the  county. 
You  will  keep  negroes  as  far  as  possible  with  their  old 
masters,  when  arrangements  can  be  made  satisfactory  to 
both  parties.  You  will  make  arrangements  for  keeping 
and  employing  all  those  for  whom  employment  cannot  be 
found  elsewhere.  You  will  establish  an  employment  agency, 
so  that  laborers  can  be  obtained  by  those  desiring  them. 
You  will  repress  all  disorders  and  disturbances  and  prevent 
pillage.  You  will  look  properly  to  the  interests  of  the  people 
and  contribute  in  every  possible  way  to  the  security,  comfort 
and  prosperity  of  the  county. — By  command  of  Brevet 
Brig.  Gen.  C.  H.  Smith." 

Perry  Chandler  started  a  free  school  in  Etterick,  a 
factory  village.  The  people  were  poor  in  money  and 
spirit.    The  first  day  he  had  forty  scholars.    They  in- 

280 


LEE'S  SURRENDER 


creased  rapidly  and  another  man  who  had  offered  his  services 
was  detailed  to  help  him.  There  was  need  of  books  and 
Chaplain  Merrill  sent  for  them.  Miss  Annie  E.  Trueman, 
a  native  of  the  place,  offered  her  assistance.  All  this  was 
done  without  fee  or  reward.  The  school  lasted  eight  weeks, 
or  until  the  regiment  was  mustered  out,  August  i. 


281 


CHAPTER  IX 


ORDERED  TO  MAINE 

ON  July  1 8  orders  were  received  to  prepare  to  muster 
out  the  regiment  August  I.  On  August  2  we 
embarked  at  City  Point,  James  River,  on  the 
steamer  "Cossack,"  but  we  did  not  reach  Portland,  Maine, 
till  August  8.  It  was  a  long  and  very  tiresome  passage, 
because  so  slow.  Upon  our  arrival  the  regiment  was  met  by 
the  officials  of  the  City  of  Portland  and  friends  of  the  men 
in  thousands,  and  marched  to  City  Hall,  where  a  banquet 
was  spread.  The  next  day  the  command  proceeded  to 
Augusta,  but  it  was  not  until  the  thirteenth  that  the  rolls 
were  signed  and  the  men  paid  ofF.  The  First  Maine  Cavalry 
now  existed  only  in  glorious  history.  It  is  a  history  every 
member  was  proud  of  and  every  citizen  of  the  State  of 
Maine  felt  honored  by.  My  enrollment  and  muster  out 
is  as  follows:  "Archibald,  William  C,  farmer;  age  2i;b. 
Halifax,  N.  S.;  res.  Lyman;  enrolled  and  mustered  in  First 
District  of  Columbia  Cavalry,  February  2,  1864,  at  Portland 
as  private;  joined  Co.  at  tr.;  promoted  Corporal  June  21, 
1865;  mustered  out  with  regiment,  with  honorable  record." 

I  left  Augusta  for  Portland,  stopped  a  day  to  see  Uncle 
George  and  his  family  and  the  bank  at  Portland,  then  took 
the  steamer  for  Nova  Scotia,  stopping  over  night  with  Uncle 
George  and  Aunt  Mercilla  at  Bedford,  where  he  was  teach- 
ing. I  then  took  the  morning  train  for  Shubenacadie  and 
the  tri-weekly  coach  for  the  dear  old  home  and  mother. 

It  was  four  o'clock  when  the  coach  arrived  at  our  "Red 
House"  door.  (See  engraving.)  Mother  did  not  know  the 
day  I  would  arrive.  I  could  not  write  or  wire  in  advance. 
I  found  her  at  the  threshold  of  the  doorway,  very  much 
changed.    I  put  my  arms  around  her,  and  she  clasped  me 

282 


ORDERED  TO  MAINE 


and  said,  "Is  this  you,  Willie  ? ^  and  fainted  in  my  arms. 
O  what  a  depth  of  tenderness  lies  in  a  noble  mother's  heart! 
Even  then  I  did  not  know  its  worth.  How  is  it  humanity 
cannot  measure  it  in  youth,  and  only  in  part  in  after  years? 
Dearest  and  best  of  mothers!  We  sat  at  the  tea  table  to- 
gether (the  family  had  been  to  tea  and  were  in  the  hayfield), 
and  she  feasted  on  her  troublesome  boy  and  smiled  her 
home  welcomes  in  a  sweeter,  sadder  blessing.  Time  had 
been  harsh  and  too  severe  upon  our  blessed  mother.  I  am 
responsible  for  this  change  with  its  suffering.  Her  frail 
form  had  lost  much  of  its  sprightliness  since  I  had  gone. 
But  she  was  happy  and  without  many  words  was  smiling 
and  cheerful,  with  the  tinge  of  gentle  soberness  at  the  early 
age  of  forty-one  years.  She  wished  me  to  tell  her  of  the 
homeward  trip,  but  I  thought  not  of  the  war.  She  sacrificed 
more  than  the  mothers  in  the  United  States,  for  the  sacrifice 
as  a  duty  did  not  appeal  to  her.  I  did  my  dear  mother  a 
wrong  in  going  to  the  war.  Her  precious  life  was  shortened 
by  it,  and  the  whole  family  has  suffered  in  consequence. 

I  tried  in  the  way  boys  understand  to  cheer  her,  but  my 
conduct  had  left  marks  on  her  gentle  nature  I  could  not 
remove.  I  feel  this  now  perhaps  more  than  I  realized 
then.  I  begged  her  to  drink  a  cup  of  tea  with  me,  which 
she  did,  but  could  not  eat  much.  After  this  came  the 
reunion  with  the  others  of  our  family  circle.  How  my 
brothers  and  sisters  had  grown!  They  seemed  to  me  fair 
to  look  upon.  They  had  all  been  good  correspondents 
and  had  given  me  the  news  from  the  "Red  House"  regularly. 

I  went  out  into  the  hayfield.  Here  were  the  same  old 
hayforks.  I  gladly  took  one  and  threw  the  hay  on  the  cart. 
The  farm  field  is  better  than  the  battlefield.  I  always 
liked  haymaking,  and  it  was  better  now  than  ever.  We 
always  had  a  good  yoke  of  oxen,  handsome  creatures  that 


HOME-MAKING  AND  ITS  PHILOSOPHY 


could  haul  the  biggest  load  the  cart  would  hold.  George 
was  a  good  pitcher,  but  I  thought  I  could  beat  him,  and 
I  did  that  night  as  I  was  fresh  and  eight  years  his  senior. 

The  farm  looked  just  as  of  old,  the  broad  fields  so  smooth 
and  beautiful.  I  saw  none  in  Virginia  to  excel  them.  The 
low,  red  house  and  barns  had  not  changed,  but  the  girls 
and  boys  had  grown  and  were  more  changed  than  aught 
else  about  the  place.  All  were  taller.  Anna  and  Sarah 
and  Arthur  had  rosy-red,  rich  brown  cheeks  like  straw- 
berries from  the  new-land  fields.  Sarah  was  studying  hard 
for  a  teacher,  while  the  two  elder  sisters  had  spent  the 
previous  winter  at  Acadia  Seminary,  and  now  expected,  I 
believe,  to  be  courted  by  my  best  attentions.  No  brother 
could  receive  a  heartier  welcome  than  was  mine.  Dear 
mother  had  us  all  in  the  nest  once  more.  We  all  sat  down 
in  the  same  old  rooms,  where  We  had  our  favored  seats, 
and  talked  of  things  of  the  past  and  things  to  come  that 
were  of  common  interest.  Mother  told  me  of  the  many 
friends  who  had  called,  and  what  they  said,  and  how  much 
they  cheered  her  and  encouraged  her.  God  bless  them  all. 
I  trust  that  all  have  had  their  rich  reward  from  the  Best  of 
Givers  long  ere  this.  Grandmother's  little  rocking-chair, 
covered  with  leather,  went  to  mother  (and  later  to  Emily); 
she  liked  to  sit  in  it,  and  it  was  very  comfortable.  I  think 
that  evening  we  went  into  the  parlor  and  stood  about  the 
front  door,  which  was  standing  open,  and  everything  about 
was  green.  I  had  brought  home  all  my  war  accoutrements, 
and  such  affairs  none  had  ever  seen  before,  and  I  must 
show  them  how  the  Henry  repeating-rifle  was  loaded  and 
unloaded,  and  its  use  in  drill,  and  at  last  presenting  arms, 
in  honor  of  the  occasion.  Then  I  must  show  them  Colt's 
revolver,  a  six-shooter,  and  buckled  on  the  belt  that  held 
the  socket  for  the  pistol,  and  then  the  sword,  or  saber, 

284 


ORDERED  TO  MAINE 


which  I  drew  in  military  fashion  and  presented  to  each 
of  them,  and  with  all  this  there  were  many  questions  asked, 
as  to  how  we  did,  and  if  I  was  afraid,  and  did  I  run  away, 
which  were  easily  answered  to  their  family  pride  and  satis- 
faction. Dear  mother  was  wearied  and  tired  with  so  much 
excitement,  and  so  with  thanks  for  blessings,  long  delayed, 
we  went  to  bed.  But  oh,  such  beds!  I  could  not  sleep, 
for  they  were  far  too  soft  and  smothery,  and  had  too  much 
spring.  Oh,  for  the  bunk  of  little  poles  and  single  blanket, 
for  steady  nerves  and  soundest  sleep.  I  tried  the  floor, 
and  found  it  more  to  my  liking  and  much  cooler.  So 
between  bed  and  floor  I  lodged  for  about  a  week;  but  now 
the  bed  is  best,  and  so  I'll  stick  to  it.  At  early  dawn  I 
seemed  to  hear  the  reveille,  and  sprang  almost  into  the 
saddle,  but  bethought  myself  of  a  peaceful  land  where  no 
bugle  sound  is  heard  except  in  citadels. 

Dear  reader,  I  have  given  a  faithful  and  true  narrative," 
the  consciousness  being  ever  with  me  that  our  dear  ones 
in  heaven  know  where  we  are  and  that  they  minister  to  us. 
Others  may  have  this  consciousness  more  or  less  than 
myself,  but  "Are  they  not  all  ministering  spirits  sent  forth 
to  minister  to  them  who  shall  be  heirs  of  salvation  ?"  Each 
may  put  it  to  the  test.  I  write  from  personal  experience, 
trusting  the  individual  narrative  may  be  a  blessing  to  many. 
The  thoughtfulness  of  God  is  tenderly  shown  to  every 
willing  soul  who  has  made  Him  his  personal  choice.  We 
are  like  God  in  the  use  of  freedom.  The  human  will  of 
itself  would  bar  out  the  kingly  gifts,  while  sin  dulls  the 
soul  and  materializes  the  senses.  Our  souls  pine  for  the 
fire  which  quickens  life.  Our  wills  must  merge  and  melt 
into  the  larger  will  of  our  Great  Leader  to  get  the  uplift 
that  will  include  in  its  sympathies  the  race.  From  the 
old  plant  born  into  new  qualities  and  flavor,  by  the  skill 

285 


HOME-MAKING  AND  ITS  PHILOSOPHY 


and  knowledge  of  a  Burbank,  we  get  an  illustration  in  this 
matter.  New  branches  on  the  old  roots  and  body.  The 
old  flower  gave  no  pleasant  odor — the  new  supplies  a  delight- 
ful and  useful  perfume.  A  new  birth  in  plants  suggests 
the  new  birth  into  the  Kingdom  of  Heaven.  The  improved 
plant  or  tree  grows  into  larger  usefulness  and  so  will  we. 

Mother  made  her  home  a  Christian's  home.  The 
first  Christian  home  was  Joseph  and  Mary's,  and  the 
true  inner  sight  of  unusual  conditions  in  nature  came  from 
God  to  the  home-maker,  and  he  believed  and  obeyed,  and 
that  only  will  make  every  home  enduring  and  honoring  to 
our  Lord.  The  principle  of  home-making  kernels  here. 
There  are  many  stages  in  the  life  of  Jesus,  and  they  began 
in  the  home,  where  we  may  linger,  and  thus  we  have  Jesus 
in  the  home  in  innocence;  Jesus  among  men,  helping  and 
healing;  Jesus  dying  on  the  cross  for  sinners;  Jesus  risen 
from  the  dead  with  His  disciples  around  Him;  and  Jesus 
at  the  right  hand  of  the  Father  in  glory,  interceding. 

Our  mother's  health  improved  considerably  that  autumn 
and  our  hopes  were  that  she  would  recover  strength  and 
enjoy  many  years  of  more  restful  life,  for  she  was  a  young 
woman  still. 


286 


CHAPTER  X 


MOTHER'S  LETTERS 

I  have  eight  short  letters,  all  that  are  extant  of  the  very 
numerous  ones  that  our  dear  mother  wrote  her  soldier 
boy  during  the  war,  while  she  was  sick,  pillowed  up  in  her 
bed.  They  are  precious  in  their  goodness,  and  the  soul 
they  breathe  so  silently  may  revive  the  old-time  valuing 
of  home  life.  The  sweet  tones  of  motherhood  are  full  of 
deep,  sad  thoughts  for  us. 

Musquodoboit,  February,  1864. 
My  beloved  Boy:  You  asked  me  to  forgive  you.  Oh,  Willie,  you 
know  I  forgive  you.  I  know  you  did  it  for  the  best,  yet  it  has  been  the 
greatest  trial  I  have  ever  had.  Still  I  know  I  deserve  it  all  and  more. 
I  have  felt  a  different  person  ever  since  you  enlisted.  Now,  my  dear 
boy,  it  will  soon  be  six  weeks  since  I  took  sick,  and  I  am  very  weak.  I 
know  not  if  I  shall  ever  be  well  again;  I  cannot  describe  to  you  my  suffer- 
ing. I  cannot  write  more,  I  am  so  tired;  I  am  pillowed  up  in  bed  while 
writing.  I  imagined  you  were  on  your  way  home.  I  am  so  lonesome! 
Farewell!    Hoping  to  see  you  soon, 

From  Your  Afflicted  Mother. 

Musquodoboit,  March  17,  1864. 

My  dearest  Son:  Language  fails  me  when  I  attempt  to  describe  my 
feelings  on  the  reception  of  your  letter.  I  tried  to  thank  God  my  son 
was  alive  and  well.  Oh,  my  dear  boy,  you  are  never  out  of  my  thoughts. 
We  expected  a  letter  before  we  received  it.  Oh,  the  feeling  of  suspense! 
It  is  hard  to  bear.  I  scarcely  knew  what  to  do  with  myself,  yet  I  knew 
it  was  hurting  me  and  I  tried  to  compose  my  mind,  but  it  is  very  hard  to 
do  so.  Many  of  your  friends  have  called  to  know  the  contents  of  your 
letter.  The  tears  ran  down  the  faces  of  many  of  them;  all  send  their  love 
to  you;  all  the  neighbors  seem  to  feel  it  very  much.  Poor  Mrs.  Horton 
wept  like  a  child. 

I  expect  them  in  this  evening;  they  drive  up  very  often  to  hear  from 
you.  Mr.  Burris  wished  to  be  remembered  to  you,  and  said  for  you  to 
act  honorably,  and  he  hoped  God  would  spare  your  life  and  bring  you 

287 


HOME-MAKING  AND  ITS  PHILOSOPHY 


safe  home  again.  Mrs.  Susan  Stuart  wished  me  particularly  to  give 
her  love  to  you.    Poor  thing,  she  feels  it  very  much. 

I  wish  you,  if  you  can  conveniently,  to  send  Mrs.  Horton  a  little  keep- 
sake. She  would  value  it  so  much.  She  seems  to  love  you  as  her  own 
child. 

In  my  last  letter  I  sent  a  lock  of  my  hair;  please  send  me  a  lock  of 
yours.  Did  you  get  some  of  father's  hair  ?  Please  write  as  often  as 
possible,  it  does  me  so  much  good.  I  am  extremely  obliged  to  you  for 
the  money,  and  I  think  perhaps  you  may  send  me  some  more.  I  think 
I  can  take  as  good  care  of  it  as  any  other  person. 

Your  Afflicted  Mother. 

Musquodoboit,  March  24,  1864. 

My  beloved  Boy:  It  is  a  long  time  since  I  have  written  to  you.  I  have 
no  spirit  to  write,  but  I  must  try.  I  know  you  will  be  glad  to  get  a  few 
lines,  though  badly  written.  I  am  still  very  weak,  and  I  do  not  know 
that  I  shall  ever  be  well  again.  Yesterday  I  was  not  able  to  sit  up  half 
the  day.  I  raise  a  little  blood  occasionally,  and  my  lungs  are  very  weak. 
I  do  not  tell  you  this  to  alarm  you,  but  I  am  exceedingly  anxious  to  see 
you  as  soon  as  you  can  possibly  get  home.  Oh,  Willie,  I  do  want  you 
to  come  home  this  summer.  I  think  if  I  could  get  to  the  salt  water  it 
might  help  me.  How  can  you  take  an  interest  in  this  Civil  War  ?  I 
must  try  and  answer  a  few  questions.  The  poetry  you  sent  and  the 
lock  of  hair,  I  cannot  tell  you  how  much  I  prize  them.  I  sent  Willie 
Sutherland  for  the  flour,  and  sold  two  barrels  to  him.  It  was  very  good. 
I  need  not  say  I  feel  very  grateful  for  all  your  kindness  and  affection  to 
me.    May  Almighty  God  reward  you. 

Mr.  Henderson  and  Miss  Taylor  were  up  to  see  me  before  I  became 
sick.  He  wished  to  be  kindly  remembered  to  you,  and  said  he  was  truly 
sorry  that  you  had  enlisted.  He  is  a  nice  man,  one  you  can  place  con- 
fidence in.  The  Rev.  Mr.  Sedgewick  has  been  here  three  times  since  I 
became  sick.  He  was  very  friendly,  talked  about  you,  wished  to  be 
remembered  to  you,  prayed  very  earnestly  that  your  life  might  be  pre- 
served to  see  home  again;  he  made  earnest  prayers  for  my  recovery.  The 
doctor  had  no  hopes  of  my  getting  better  when  he  first  came,  and  has 
since  told  me  that  had  he  been  two  hours  later  no  physician  could  have 
saved  me. 

Well,  Willie,  my  feelings  have  been  tried  since  I  have  been  sick.  Oh 
how  I  long  to  see  you!    I  was  foolish  in  ever  building  myself  up  on  the 

288 


MOTHER'S  LETTERS 


hope  that  you  would  come.  Three  or  four  weeks  we  did  not  get  a  letter. 
I  made  calculations,  and  we  baked  for  you  the  very  night  we  got  a  letter. 
Yes,  I  was  in  the  upstairs  room  on  the  stretcher,  and  I  looked  out  of  the 
window,  expecting  you  to  get  out  of  the  coach.  You  can  judge  my  dis- 
appointment when  the  coach  passed  without  stopping.  I  almost  fainted. 
I  thought  for  some  time  I  could  not  live.  I  do  not  think  I  shall  ever 
feel  worse  unless  I  am  dying.    No  doubt  my  body  affected  my  mind. 

Well,  Willie,  you  will  like  to  know  about  Harriet  and  Emily.  They 
are  getting  along  well  with  their  studies.  Things  are  about  where  you 
left  them.  Edward  Stuart  offered  me  fifteen  pounds  for  grandfather's 
house  and  he  would  move  it  to  his  place.  What  do  you  think  of  it  ? 
He  will  work  on  the  farm.  I  would  have  to  pay  Edward  twenty-four 
pounds  for  seven  months.  I  did  not  see  fit  to  take  him.  It  will  not  pay. 
I  am  trying  to  plan  as  well  as  I  can,  but  am  almost  too  weak  to  manage, 
but  I  must  hope  for  the  best.  Now,  my  dear  boy,  I  commend  you  to 
God  and  to  the  word  of  His  grace,  which  is  able  to  build  you  up  and  to 
give  you  an  abundant  entrance  among  them  that  are  sanctified.  Fare- 
well, dear  boy,  till  we  meet  again.  May  the  Lord  preserve  my  dear  boy 
and  permit  us  to  meet  again.  Try  and  get  home  very  soon.  I  am  very 
tired.    Good  bye,  dear  Willie,  may  God  permit  us  to  meet  again. 

Your  Affectionate  Mother. 

June,  1864. 

My  dearest  Child:  Your  letter  of  a  few  lines  brought  tears  to  my  eyes. 
I  think  about  you  and  am  just  as  anxious  as  I  ever  was  to  do  for  you.  I 
should  like  to  live  to  see  you  settled,  but  I  fear  that  I  shall  not  see  that 
day.  I  know  I  love  all  my  children,  but  you  are  dearer  to  me  than  all 
the  rest  of  my  children.  I  did  not  write  to  any  person  but  to  you  the 
winter  through.    Thanks  for  all  the  nice  little  articles  sent.    I  am  as  ever, 

Your  Loving  Mother. 

Without  date,  near  August,  1864. 
My  dearest  Son:  Never  were  you  so  dear  to  me  as  at  the  present 
moment.  Oh,  how  I  long  to  see  you,  but  I  am  willing  to  wait  the  ap- 
pointed time  if  I  am  not  then  disappointed.  My  anxiety  for  you  is  great, 
since  I  read  Monday's  paper.  I  fear  you  will  have  a  hard  time  of  it. 
The  North  expects  to  meet  the  Rebels,  and  oh,  what  is  to  be  expected 
then  ?    Bloodshed  such  as  has  not  been  since  the  war  commenced.  Yes, 

289 


HOME-MAKING  AND  ITS  PHILOSOPHY 


the  ensuing  summer,  these  writers  say,  will  be  fearful  beyond  description. 
Oh,  my  dear  Willie,  prepare  to  meet  thy  God. 

Now,  in  the  heat  of  youthful  blood, 
Remember  your  Creator  God. 
Behold  the  months  come  hastening  on, 
When  you  shall  say  my  joys  are  gone. 

Hark  from  the  tombs  a  warning  sound, 
"Thine  ears  attend,"  they  cry; 
Ye  living  men  come  view  the  ground, 
Where  you  must  shortly  lie. 

Grant  us  the  power  of  quickening  grace, 
To  fit  our  souls  to  fly; 
Then,  when  we  drop  this  dying  flesh, 
We'll  rise  above  the  sky. 

Hold  thou  thy  cross  before  my  closing  eyes, 
Shine  through  the  gloom  and  point  me  to  the  skies; 
Heaven's  morning  breaks,  and  earth's  vain  shadows  flee, 
In  life,  in  death,  dear  Lord,  abide  with  me. 

These  lines  you  sent  me  have  overwhelmed  my  feelings.  Yes,  my 
dear  Willie,  the  parting  hour  I  shall  ever  remember.  My  heart  was  well 
nigh  to  breaking,  and  when  I  came  home,  oh,  how  dreary  everything 
appeared  to  me;  but  I  tried  to  make  the  best  of  it.  Yes,  Willie,  we  miss 
you;  at  morn,  at  noon  and  at  evening  your  name  is  fondly  cherished  and 
we  grieve  for  your  absence. 

Oh,  my  dear,  sweet  boy,  another  dear  letter  has  come.  I  do  not  care 
whether  we  have  tea  or  not  on  the  evening  of  mail  day.  Well,  I  will 
try  to  answer.  You  mentioned  my  anxieties  and  troubles.  You  are 
dearer  than  ever  to  me,  and  I  shall  ever  feel  your  kindness  until  I  go  to 
the  grave.  Oh,  Willie,  you  say  I  need  not  pay  Mr.  H.  My  eyes  fill 
with  tears  when  I  read  your  kind  letter.  All  I  want  now  to  make  me 
happy  is  to  clasp  you  to  my  bosom.  I  feel  better  this  evening.  I  think 
you  will  understand  your  dream  with  respect  to  getting  letters  twice  a 
week  before  you  get  this.    Oh,  Willie,  we  are  all  looking  forward  with 

29O 


MOTHER'S  LETTERS 


more  hope.  We  will  expect  you  next  autumn,  but,  oh,  we  do  not  know 
what  may  take  place  before  that  time.  Oh,  Willie,  how  just  is  your 
remark  in  regard  to  enjoyment  as  we  go  along.  How  often  your  dear 
father  said  this  to  me,  but  I  could  not  feel  so.  It  is  a  choice  letter.  Good 
night,  my  dear.  Your  Affectionate  Mother. 

October,  1864. 

My  dearest  Son:  I  received  a  paper  from  you  on  Monday.  Thanks 
to  Almighty  God  you  were  still  alive.  Oh,  my  dear  Willie,  I  think  much 
about  you.  I  sometimes  think  you  will  be  home  again.  Oh,  if  you 
could  get  a  furlough  to  come  in  the  winter.  I  think  I  shall  be  very  lonely 
this  winter.  Harriet  and  Emily  expect  to  leave  for  Wolfville  Seminary 
to-morrow.    You  can  judge  of  my  feelings. 

Autumn  again  is  here,  the  leaves  are  falling  very  fast  to-day,  and  the 
appearance  makes  me  feel  very  sad.  Yes,  Willie,  this  is  the  season  your 
father  lay  on  his  deathbed.  You  very  well  remember  it.  Four  years 
will  soon  have  passed  away  since  he  was  laid  in  his  grave.  Oh, 
Willie,  I  cannot  express  to  you  my  feelings.  Oh,  how  I  long  for  you  to 
come  home.  May  God  in  His  infinite  mercy  and  goodness  be  pleased 
to  spare  your  life  and  permit  you  to  return  home.  I  trust  we  will  never 
cease  to  praise  Him  for  His  goodness  to  us. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Horton  send  their  love  to  you.  I  do  not  think  he  will 
live  very  long.  Matthew  Hamilton  called  last  evening  to  enquire  for 
you.  He  said  he  was  deeply  interested  in  you  and  when  I  described 
your  situation  the  tears  ran  over  his  cheeks.  He  wished  to  be  kindly 
remembered  to  you. 

Farewell,  my  dear  Willie,  till  I  hear  from  you.  Please  excuse  this 
writing.  Your  Loving  Mother. 

May,  1865. 

My  dear  Soldier  Boy:  The  wished  for  tidings  have  come;  thanks  to 
Almighty  God  you  are  still  alive.  Oh,  my  dear  Willie,  if  I  never  felt 
grateful  before,  I  think  I  can  truly  say  I  feel  so  now.  What  shall  we 
render  to  the  Lord  for  all  His  goodness  r  Oh,  may  we  be  enabled  to  call 
upon  Him  in  sincerity  and  in  truth,  and  may  we  be  kept  humble  in  the 
sight  of  the  Lord.  Oh,  for  more  love  to  my  Saviour,  who  has  been  so 
very  kind  to  me. 

I  slept  very  little  last  night.  I  shall  think  the  time  long  until  I  see 
you,  but  I  pray  that  I  may  be  enabled  to  exercise  patience  until  you  come. 

291 


HOME-MAKING  AND  ITS  PHILOSOPHY 


I  would  like  to  write  you  a  long  letter,  but  I  feel  as  though  I  cannot  find 
language  to  express  my  thoughts.  I  am  not  well,  and  perhaps  never 
will  be,  but  I  long  to  live  until  I  see  my  darling  child.  Try  and  take 
as  good  care  of  yourself  as  you  can.  Neglected  colds  often  prove  very 
serious.  The  children  are  quite  excited,  expecting  to  see  you  soon. 
Some  say  they  wish  they  could  sleep  some  of  the  time  away,  but  I  hope 
we  will  all  be  enabled  to  wait  patiently  the  time. 

May  God  continue  to  preserve  your  life,  and  prosper  you  in  time; 
and  in  the  world  to  come  give  you  life  everlasting,  is  the  prayer  of 

Your  Affectionate  Mother. 

Musquodoboit,  July  I,  1865. 

My  dearest  Child:  Received  the  papers  last  evening.  You  were  well. 
Oh,  what  gratitude  should  arise  in  our  hearts  to  Him  who  has  preserved 
you  thus  far;  just  think  of  so  many  hearts  bleeding  at  this  present  time 
for  their  dear  children.  Yes,  my  poor  sister  [Aunt  Eliza]  mourns  for 
her  poor  boy  and  refuses  to  be  comforted.  I  will  not  be  surprised  if 
she  does  not  live  much  longer.  She  has  sent  for  me,  but  I  do  not  know 
that  I  can  go  immediately,  as  I  am  not  able  to  do  anything,  but  if  I  were 
not  here  things  would  go  to  ruin.  If  you  were  here  I  would  go  to  the 
salt  water,  but  cannot  until  you  come,  although  my  friends  advise  me 
to  go  immediately.  Many  people  are  constantly  enquiring  for  you  and 
wish  to  be  remembered  to  you.  Some  say  never  did  a  young  man  leave 
Musquodoboit  that  people  were  generally  so  much  interested  in.  Mr. 
Sedgewick  seemed  much  pleased.  We  told  him  that  you  had  come  through 
the  downfall  of  Petersburg  and  Richmond  and  were  present  at  the  surrender 
of  General  Lee.    He  wept  like  a  child. 

Oh,  Willie,  what  would  I  give  to  have  you  home  just  now!  But  I 
must  try  to  be  patient.  It  is  a  great  satisfaction  to  hear  from  you  so 
often.  I  cannot  write  much  just  now.  Do  come  as  soon  as  you  can. 
Crops  are  looking  well,  grass  is  remarkably  good,  the  children  are  well. 

Well,  Willie,  I  hope  you  are  not  in  that  dark  state  of  mind  still.  I 
pray  God  to  bring  you  out  of  it.  'Tis  He  alone  that  can  do  it,  but  you 
must  take  Him  at  His  word,  and  believe  in  Him.  None  ever  sought  Him 
in  vain.    Farewell  until  I  see  or  hear  from  you. 

Your  Affectionate  Mother. 

Our  dear  mother  had  preserved  all  my  letters  and  I  had 
most  of  hers,  but  after  her  death  in  some  way  they  were  lost, 

292 


MOTHER'S  LETTERS 


which  I  now  greatly  regret.  After  my  return  from  the 
war  I  went  to  Halifax  as  a  clerk  in  the  employ  of  John 
Silver  &  Co.,  and  took  a  course  in  the  new  commercial 
college  then  just  opening. 

The  only  letter  I  have  found  that  was  written  to  me  during 
the  war,  in  addition  to  those  of  my  mother,  is  one  from 
my  sister  Emily.  This  was  written  at  the  age  of  sixteen, 
the  winter  before  the  two  sisters  went  to  Acadia  Seminary. 

Musquodoboit,  March  17,  1864. 

My  dearest  Brother:  I  received  your  letter  a  few  hours  since,  and 
hasten  to  answer  by  return  of  mail.  We  answered  your  last  letter  im- 
mediately after  reception,  and  addressed  it  to  Augusta,  Maine.  I  am 
afraid  you  will  not  get  it.  It  is  more  than  three  weeks  since  I  wrote, 
and  fearing  you  did  not  get  it,  I  wrote  Uncle  George  to  forward  it  to  you 
at  Washington.  As  to  your  letters  not  being  interesting — on  the  contrary 
I  am  always  in  suspense  until  I  hear  from  you.  The  next  time  you  write 
give  me  full  account  of  all  that  has  transpired  since  you  enlisted. 

Did  you  get  the  letter  I  wrote,  with  some  of  father's  hair  ?  Tell  me 
in  your  next  if  you  got  all  the  letters.  I  am  going  to  write  to  Aunt  Eliza 
to-night  for  James'  address,  who  is  in  one  of  the  infantry  regiments.  I 
will  send  it  in  my  next.  We  received  a  letter  from  Anna  Blackadar; 
also  one  from  Kent  Sutherland.    Annie  has  a  son  and  is  pretty  well. 

Mr.  R.  and  I  went  down  to  Mr.  Horton's  to  tea  the  other  evening. 
They  were  very  much  surprised  to  hear  that  you  had  enlisted,  and  sym- 
pathized with  us.  Eliza  Reynolds  was  up  yesterday.  She  wishes  to 
be  remembered  to  you,  and  a  great  many  others.  Henry  Dean  was 
buried  the  other  day.  I  was  over  to  see  Aunt  Rachel;  she  is  pretty  well. 
She  wept  very  freely  when  I  read  your  letters  to  her.  She  sent  the  warmest 
love  and  said  for  you  to  be  a  good  boy.    Uncle  John  has  not  been  so  well. 

We  sent  down  to  the  station  for  supplies  for  the  summer,  having 
previously  ordered  them  from  Halifax.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  James  Archibald 
are  very  well,  and  Mary  too.  Harriet  wrote  us  a  letter  enclosing  the 
one  you  wrote  to  her,  thinking  we  had  not  heard.  The  children  are  all 
well.  George  has  brought  some  poles  for  fencing.  Arthur,  Sarah  and 
Annie  go  to  school;  they  learn  well.  How  much  they  would  like  to  see 
you.    I  hope,  Willie,  you  will  not  neglect  to  seek  an  interest  in  the  precious 

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blood  of  Christ  ere  it  is  too  late.  Oh,  Willie,  neglect  it  not,  for  you  do 
not  know  what  hour  you  may  have  to  die.  Write  every  week,  whether 
you  receive  our  letters  or  not,  for  we  always  write.  Farewell  until  we 
meet  again.    From  your  loving  sister, 

Emily  Archibald. 

A  letter  from  Aunt  Rachel  to  mother,  August  10,  1863, 
Middle  Stewiacke. 

My  dear  Sister  Anna:  I  take  my  pen  to  let  you  know  I  am  better  than 
I  have  been  for  two  years  and  a  half,  and  hoping  that  these  few  lines  will 
find  you  in  better  health  than  when  I  left  you.  I  came  home  the  next 
Wednesday  after  leaving  you.  Was  very  sorry  to  leave  you.  I  could 
have  stayed  contentedly  a  month  with  you,  and  have  often  thought  about 
you  and  your  little  family,  your  cares,  your  toils,  and  your  troubles.  But 
remember  you  are  not  alone;  look  abroad  in  the  world  and  you  will  find 
none  without  them  in  some  way  or  another.  Hope  you  may  be  given 
grace  and  strength  for  your  day.  We  know  what  is  past  is  a  great  allevia- 
tion to  our  grief;  we  know  not  what  is  to  come.  Remember  what  the 
Scripture  says:  "As  thy  day  is,  so  shall  thy  strength  be."  We  would 
always  wish  to  stay  here  if  we  had  no  troubles,  no  trials  to  wean  us  from 
this  world.  "Whom  the  Father  loveth  He  chasteneth."  David  says: 
"Before  I  was  afflicted  I  went  astray;  but  now  I  keep  Thy  word."  Look 
what  affliction  he  had;  look  how  his  son  Absalom  used  him;  look  at  many 
of  God's  people,  what  they  suffer.  Their  Father  in  heaven  knows  what 
is  best  for  them.  Even  a  sparrow  cannot  fall  to  the  ground  without  His 
notice.  You  are  of  more  value  than  many  sparrows.  May  He  be  your 
guide  through  life  and  take  you  to  dwell  with  Him  for  evermore,  is  the 
sincere  wish  of  one  who  dearly  loves  you  and  your  little  family.  May 
God  Almighty  bless  you  all. 

We  had  a  letter  from  Rob.  Charles  met  with  a  very  narrow  escape 
of  his  life  from  the  Indians.  He  is  the  only  one  of  five  left  to  tell  the 
tale.  He  had  five  arrows  put  into  him.  They  went  prospecting.  The 
first  night  they  camped  the  Indians  came  upon  them  in  their  camp.  He 
lost  all  he  had,  fled  barefooted,  bareheaded,  without  a  coat  or  vest.  Trav- 
elled all  day  on  the  mountain  in  deep  snow,  got  on  a  rock  at  night.  The 
next  day  travelled  all  day,  about  ten  o'clock  at  night  got  into  a  camp 
where  he  was  well  taken  care  of.  His  wounds  are  better  now,  but  he  is 
very  sick  with  bilious  fever.    He  got  back  to  California  before  he  took 

294 


MOTHER'S  LETTERS 


the  fever.  Rob  and  Amelia  were  to  see  him  when  he  wrote.  Some  hopes 
of  recovery  from  the  fever. 

September  6,  1863. 

And  now,  dear  sister,  I  take  time  to  finish  this  delayed  letter.  I  hope 
you  are  better.  I  have  not  heard  a  word  from  you  since  Mrs.  James 
and  Mrs.  Jonathan  Archibald  were  here.  I  have  a  good  tale  for  you 
from  them.  I  was  glad  to  see  them.  We  are  very  busy  spooling,  warp- 
ing and  winding  quills. 

The  girls  are  out  this  afternoon.  Charles  is  getting  better.  We 
sent  for  him  to  come  home.  Amelia  thinks  his  constitution  is  broken. 
Old  Jenny  Croker  is  very  low.  She  was  the  first  white  child  born  in 
Stewiacke. 

Give  my  love  to  all  the  children,  and  tell  them  I  never  forget  them,, 
Our  people  are  not  near  done  haying.  They  bought  a  piece  of  hay  land 
for  forty  pounds  and  they  have  all  that  to  get,  too. 

Eliakim  Archibald  and  his  mother  were  away  to  New  Brunswick 
to  see  James  Newcomb.  They  just  called  as  they  came  home,  for  a 
couple  of  hours.  They  were  gone  three  weeks.  Were  at  the  Convention. 
There  is  nothing  more  to  write.  Harriet  or  Emily  might  write  a  few 
lines.  I  suppose  they  are  busy.  Tell  them  to  write  and  let  me  know 
how  you  get  along  and  how  your  health  is.  I  remain  your  affectionate 
sister, 

Rachel  Rutherford.. 

Aunt  Rachel  visited  her  brother  George  at  Portland., 
Maine,  in  1861,  and  made  him  a  present  of  a  family  Bible, 
in  which  she  wrote  their  father's  family  record.  This  book 
is  in  the  possession  of  his  son,  Henry  O.  Archibald  of 
Brockton. 

A  letter  from  Uncle  Burke  to  our  mother. 

Upper  Blissfield,  N.  B.,  April,  1866. 
My  dear  Anna:  Twenty-five  years  have  now  elapsed  since  we  last 
saw  each  other  in  person;  yet  time  has  not  effaced  the  acquaintance  once 
made  in  the  mind.  I  have  for  some  space  thought  of  writing  to  you, 
and  now  sit  down  to  put  ideas  in  a  reading  form.  In  looking  over  your 
past  history,  you  know  what  heavy  bereavements  are.    I  trust  you  see 

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HOME-MAKING  AND  ITS  PHILOSOPHY 


the  Hand  that  is  quietly  leading  you,  knowing  that  His  chastisements 
are  designed  to  teach  wisdom,  and  see  the  realities  of  the  future  more 
fully  in  and  through  the  faith  of  the  Gospel.  The  longer  I  live  the  more 
I  see  of  man's  nothingness  and  the  wonderful  kindness  of  God  in  giving 
us  His  blessed  book. 

I  suppose  you  are  still  full  of  care  and  anxiety  about  the  welfare  of 
your  children,  feeling  it  worth  living  to  be  looking  after  their  training. 
I  heard  indirectly  that  your  eldest  son  was  in  the  American  War.  I 
could  not  hear  whether  he  was  wounded,  killed  or  had  come  home.  I 
presume  he  is  still  among  the  living.  I  really  wondered  at  him  being 
discontented  in  that  Beautiful  Place.  It  often  seems  that  young  folks 
must  wander  far  away  from  home  to  get  what  is  termed  their  wild  oats 
sown,  and  very  often  the  profits  are  of  little  amount.  Experience  teaches 
what  theory  will  not  accomplish.  Our  natures  are  much  prone  to  self- 
righteousness,  especially  when  about  entering  into  active  life.  It  is  hard 
to  see  our  true  position,  tradition  often  blinds,  but  the  blessed  Book 
points  out  what  is  true  and  what  prejudices  are. 

This  month  finds  self  and  family,  number  nine  in  all,  in  a  good  share 
of  health  and  prosperity.  Dear  Jacobina  is  something  like  you,  I  pre- 
sume, toiling  and  looking  after  the  children's  comforts,  both  physically 
and  morally,  and  for  their  getting  a  full  share  of  mental  improvement. 
Jane  our  eldest,  who  is  now  a  very  stout  girl,  has  been  keeping  school 
for  the  last  five  months,  with  much  credit  to  herself  and  all  concerned. 
I  was  afraid  she  would  not  be  content,  that  the  government  of  children 
would  be  difficult,  that  her  youth  would  be  against  good  progress,  and  I 
thought  it  was  best  for  her  to  go  on  trial  for  half  a  year  before  going  to 
the  training  school.  In  all  these  fears  we  have  been  disappointed.  Mar- 
garet is  learning  the  millinery  business  in  Newcastle — will  be  there 
a  year;  has  been  there  three  months  and  is  content.  Elizabeth  is  learning 
housework;  when  old  enough  she  will  likely  keep  school,  as  her  education 
is  good.  Amy,  who  is  twelve,  is  our  best  scholar,  having  gone  to  school 
steadily.  Grace,  who  died  at  nine  months,  is  the  broken  link.  Alice  is 
a  fair  scholar  and  is  doing  well.  Judson  Wallace,  of  almost  five,  stout 
and  smart,  is  reading  in  the  Bible  a  little.  Clara  is  a  bright,  black-eyed, 
rosy-cheeked  creature,  who  I  am  afraid  will  be  petted  too  much,  as  the 
youngest  of  a  family  generally  is. 

Thus  you  see  I  am  anxious  to  enjoy  the  comforts  of  life  for  myself, 
wife  and  family,  trusting  in  the  good  hand  of  God  to  long  spare  my  use- 

296 


MOTHER'S  LETTERS 


fulness  for  their  general  benefit.  May  it  be  your  happiness  to  be  spared 
for  more  usefulness,  so  that  when  the  end  of  life  arrives  you  will  have 
the  approbation  of  having  done  your  duty  in  the  fear  of  God. 

Answer  this  ere  long,  with  many  particulars.  Give  my  love  to  en- 
quiring friends.    I  suppose  more  have  forgotten  me  than  I  can  forget* 

I  remain  yours,  as  ever,  in  the  bonds  of  love,  good  will  and  affection* 

Burke  Archibald. 

The  following  verses  were  sung  at  the  Memorial  Day 
services  held  in  Tremont  Temple,  Boston,  May  30,  1910. 
the  author  being  a  member  of  that  church. 

Once  more  to  our  heroes  rich  garlands  we  bring, 
The  choicest  of  flowers  that  blossom  in  spring; 
We  stand  by  each  mound  in  the  silence  of  tears 
With  memories  stretching  back  over  the  years. 

Their  record  of  valor  can  never  be  lost, 
The  prize  that  they  gained  at  so  fearful  a  cost. 
The  sons  of  such  sires  will  that  record  retain 
Since  Country  and  honor  forever  remain. 

Their  footsteps  no  longer  respond  to  the  drum, 
Their  music  is  silent,  their  voices  are  dumb: 
They  rest  in  their  bivouac,  their  marching  is  o'er, 
Their  tents  are  now  pitched  on  Eternity's  shore. 

The  conflict  still  rages,  the  battle  is  near, — 

Be  strong  and  courageous,  there's  nothing  to  fear; 

When  fighting  is  ended  and  victory  won, 

Our  Captain  will  say  to  His  faithful,  "Well  done!" 

— Joseph  H.  Beale. 


297 


THE  CAVALRY  HABIT  AT  SIXTY-EIGHT 


BOOK  THREE 
THE  OLD  HOME 


CHAPTER  I 


PARENTAL  SOLICITUDE 

FATHER  and  mother  were  equally  solicitous  that 
all  the  children  should  receive  an  education.  I, 
being  the  eldest  of  the  family,  received  the  least 
schooling.  There  was  no  school  in  our  district  the  winter 
following  my  return  from  war,  so  mother  proposed  that 
my  sister  Emily  and  I  board  ourselves  at  Uncle  Daniel's 
and  go  to  school  there.  They  were  always  very  kind  and 
tender  to  mother.  They  had  a  superior  school  at  the 
South  Branch.  Our  eldest  sister  Hattie  was  teaching, 
and  mother's  ambition,  like  father's,  was  to  make  teachers 
of  all  the  children  but  the  eldest,  who  was  likely  to  be  the 
farmer,  and  who  could  by  abundance  of  manual  work  get 
along  with  less  schooling. 

So  we  went  to  school  for  the  winter.  I  was  twenty- 
three  years  of  age.  The  schoolbooks  which  influenced  me 
most  at  ten  years  of  age  were  Lennie's  Grammar,  begin- 
ning with  the  four  parts  of  speech,  orthography,  etymology, 
syntax  and  prosody,  and  the  Spelling  Book  Superseded, 
yet  I  never  did  adore  them.  It  has  taken  sixty  years  of 
reasonable  application  to  get  on  familiar  or  even  speaking 
terms  with  the  above  subjects.  No  wonder  the  foregoing 
course  of  instruction  loomed  up  like  a  mighty  Babylonian 
wall,  impossible  for  children  to  scale.  But  the  most  in- 
delible impression  made  was  by  a  series  of  spelling  rules 
with  exceptions  annexed,  with  reasons  added,  and  abstract 
conclusions  following,  which  were  taught  in  this  school  by 
our  cousin,  Miss  Rebecca  Newcomb.  I  think  we  were 
assigned  from  three  to  five  of  these  rules  a  day,  averaging 
about  ten  lines  each  to  recite,  and  we  enjoyed  this  for  about 
five  months,  but  the  series  had  no  signs  of  coming  to  an  end 

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HOME-MAKING  AND  ITS  PHILOSOPHY 


when  we  left  for  home  in  the  spring.  I  have  never  been 
a  good  speller,  but  I  don't  understand  the  reason.  If  I 
wished  at  any  time  to  use  a  difficult  word  and  could  not 
spell  it,  and  recalled  all  the  rules  for  spelling,  I  became 
more  confused  than  before.  I  have,  therefore,  abandoned 
them  entirely  and  simply  do  the  best  I  can  with  the  old 
dictionary.  I  think  the  old  method  of  spelling  in  syllables 
is  not  excelled  to-day. 

Miss  Newcomb  was  an  excellent  teacher  and  taught  a 
superior  school.  She  afterwards  married  our  dearly  beloved 
Uncle  George  Richardson,  after  whom  our  brother  George 
was  named.  They  lived  in  the  Annapolis  Valley,  far 
famed  for  Evangeline,  beautiful  homes,  the  thickest  and 
whitest  of  apple  blossoms,  and  richly  splashed  Graven- 
steins.  Our  teacher,  Miss  Newcomb,  was  a  relative  of  the 
late  Professor  Simon  Newcomb  of  Cumberland,  Nova 
Scotia,  one  of  the  very  great  men  of  the  world  upon  whom 
marks  of  honor  have  come  in  showers. 

I  worked  on  the  farm  through  the  spring,  summer  and 
autumn,  to  get  more  tan  and  strength,  and  then  mother 
and  I  deliberated  what  was  best  for  me  to  do.  Uncle  was 
thinking  about  going  into  the  mercantile  life,  and  I  secured 
a  place  as  clerk  with  the  firm  of  John  Silver  &  Company, 
Halifax.  I  liked  the  business  and  the  firm,  Mr.  Silver 
and  Mr.  Payne,  who  were  men  of  sterling  integrity  and 
supreme  kindliness  of  heart.  James  McPherson  was 
chief  clerk,  and  we  were  brought  into  close  contact  with 
each  other,  and  an  intimate  friendship  sprang  up  which  has 
lasted.  After  being  in  Halifax  a  short  time  I  began  to 
realize  my  need  of  an  education,  and  this  need  was  felt 
more  keenly  day  by  day.  I  could  not  express  myself  as  I 
would  like,  nor  could  I  meet  and  talk  with  others  of  my 
age  with  any  satisfaction,  ease  or  intelligence.    I  went  to 

302 


PARENTAL  SOLICITUDE 


the  old  Citizens'  Library.  Mr.  Creed  was  librarian,  and 
he  was  ready  to  aid.  I  procured  books  and  resolutely 
began  reading  and  studying.  I  knew  the  hours  I  had  to 
myself.  I  would  read  awhile,  and  then  stand  up  before 
the  open  book  on  the  table  and  attempt  to  give  in  regular 
order  the  sense  of  what  I  had  read.  It  was  slow  work, 
but  never  for  more  than  a  moment  did  I  lose  faith  that  the 
method  must  tell  in  the  end;  and  from  that  year  to  this 
the  policy  and  practice  of  persistency  has  steadily  held  its 
place  and  has  been  the  chief  factor  in  my  life.  I  acquire 
knowledge  very  gradually  and  more  slowly  than  most 
others,  but  the  story  of  the  tortoise  and  the  hare  is  a  true 
one.  The  temperance  societies  in  the  city  were  very  helpful 
to  me,  and  I  wish  here  to  gratefully  acknowledge  their 
influence  in  strengthening  the  home  teaching,  and  the 
wholesome  social  environment  with  which  they  surrounded 
their  members.  Many  affect  to  despise  the  common  things 
of  life  which  usually  prove  to  be  the  best.  In  old  Chebucto 
Lodge,  where  I  was  a  humble  member,  was  a  group  of 
fine  singers,  among  whom  were  Burpee  Witter  in  youthful 
prime,  the  Payson  girls,  and  many  others,  which  surely 
made  the  lodgeroom  vibrate  with  rich  melodies  long  after 
the  doors  were  closed  and  our  good  nights  were  said.  The 
debates  were  of  a  high  order,  and  the  recitations  were 
varied  and  numerous.  Our  valued  membership  included 
T.  B.  Flint,  a  rising  barrister  recently  from  Yarmouth, 
now  an  LL.B.  and  clerk  of  the  House  of  Commons,  Canada; 
Ben  Russell,  now  Mr.  Justice  Russell  of  Dartmouth,  N.  S.; 
James  McQuinn,  now  deceased,  and  many  more.  Later 
I  succeeded  to  the  chair  as  worthy  chief,  and  it  was  during 
this  term  we  invited  Acadia  Lodge  to  spend  an  evening 
with  us.  To  prepare  a  suitable  address  of  welcome  I 
hastened  to  interview  Brother  Flint,  who  right  royally 

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HOME-MAKING  AND  ITS  PHILOSOPHY 


helped  me  out  in  its  preparation,  and  we  had  indeed  a 
glorious  evening  with  our  friends. 

It  was  our  parents'  advice  that  we  should  continue 
the  practice  of  attending  church  and  Sabbath  school  regularly, 
not  spasmodically;  also  that  we  hear  public  lectures  on 
every  possible  occasion.  Lectures  key  the  mind  up  to 
higher  ideals  and  purpose,  and  strengthen  resolves.  The 
liking  for  good  may  grow  equally  with  that  for  evil,  and 
the  presence  and  power  of  association  are  very  valuable. 
Mother's  letters  Were  frequent  and  regular,  and  were  a 
cable  always  there  to  hold  the  boy  to  his  best.  The  letters 
between  brothers  and  sisters  had  great  potency  in  main- 
taining the  good  old  family  feeling  which  sometimes  is 
supplanted  by  new  interests  of  less  importance.  This 
correspondence  is  still  continued,  and  one  is  unable  to 
express  the  full  measure  and  value  of  these  volumes  of 
letters  during  the  past  fifty  years. 


3°4 


CHAPTER  II 


MOTHER'S  LETTER 

IN  JULY,  1868,  I  received  a  letter  from  our  beloved 
mother  asking  me  to  come  home,  as  she  was  not 
feeling  so  well,  and  she  wished  to  talk  over  some 
matters  with  me.  I  was  given  leave  of  absence  and  found 
all  at  home  well  except  mother,  who  had  now  a  distressing 
cough.  She  had  lost  strength  during  the  warm  summer, 
but  bore  her  weakness  without  complaining.  My  sisters 
were  very  attentive  and  thoughtfully  alert  in  varied  little 
things  for  her.  They  had  moved  her  bed  into  the  front 
parlor,  where  the  rising  sun  was  first  seen  in  the  morning 
glow. 

Near  the  front  windows  and  open  doorway  were  autumn 
roses  and  a  few  bright  phloxes  and  hollyhocks  lifting  their 
spikes  of  flowers  above  the  garden  wall,  and  over  these 
were  the  trembling-leaf  poplars,  helping  to  ward  off  the 
heat.  But  the  house  had  low  ceiling,  and  bright  glints 
of  the  shimmering  light  slipped  through  the  tremulant 
foliage  and  lit  the  room  that  helped  to  brighten  the  spirit 
of  our  sick  mother.  She  felt  the  heat  at  midday  most, 
when  there  was  less  tree  protection.  There  were  two  or 
three  rocking  chairs,  and  sometimes  she  would  sit  in  one 
and  then  another,  pillowed  by  the  girls  to  rest  her  weariness. 
The  heat  was  hard  to  bear.  In  the  morning  after  the  dew 
was  gone  we  carried  her  in  the  easy-chair  into  the  garden 
or  under  the  white  house  willows,  where  the  shade  was  to 
her  comfort,  and  near  the  path  she  had  often  walked  along. 

Carry  me  out  from  this  half-lit  room, 
From  the  fears  that  your  love  reveals; 

Out  to  the  paths  and  the  trees  and  bloom, 
On  knolls  where  wise  Nature  heals. 

305 


HOME-MAKING  AND  ITS  PHILOSOPHY 


We  read  a  good  deal  to  her  out  of  doors.  She  had 
taught  us  to  read  aloud  to  one  another  and  we  had  grown 
to  like  it,  and  she  enjoyed  hearing  our  voices  linked  with 
the  words.  As  a  rule  we  selected  our  readings,  and  she 
watched  the  growth  of  taste  and  forming  character,  for 
that  was  uppermost  with  her.  We  read  some  things  she 
had  learned  to  love  years  before.  We  had  Beecher's  "Life 
of  Christ."  She  loved  that  story  of  the  incidents  in  the 
life  of  Jesus.  She  asked  us  to  read  the  twenty-third  and 
one  hundred  and  third  Psalms,  or  to  recite  many  of  our 
hymns.  "In  the  Christian's  Home  in  Glory,"  and  "Abide 
with  Me,  Fast  Falls  the  Eventide,"  were  favorites.  The 
birds  would  break  out  in  concert  songs,  as  if  to  encourage 
hope,  and  we  heard  their  friendly  sympathy,  for  mother 
had  lifted  the  tiny  nestlings  from  the  ground  to  a  branch  for 
their  protection.  The  silent  forces  were  all  about  us,  and 
mother  dwelt  much  in  these.  They  seemed  at  times  the 
echoes  of  subconsciousness.  The  noise  of  life  is  harsh 
and  rude.  Silent  power  reaches  beyond  and  into  the 
infinite.  Jesus'  sayings  in  His  parables  come  out  of  the 
quiet,  silent  speech  of  the  woods  and  fields,  and  it  was  all 
compassed  in  one  short  life. 

Our  mother's  life  of  forty-four  years  was  longer  as  a 
period  of  time  than  was  the  life  of  Jesus.  And  she  truly 
possessed  His  spirit.  It  was  that  spirit  which  made  our 
home  what  it  was,  and  remembered  as  it  is  to-day.  It  was 
neither  silver  nor  gold,  for  we  had  no  wealth  nor  grandeur, 
nor  did  we  crave  for  it. 

The  home  of  Jesus  was  filled  with  a  beautiful  spirit 
which  came  down  from  above,  preserving  the  mutual  con- 
fidence of  Joseph  and  Mary,  which  is  the  needed  model 
to-day  and  for  all  time  for  home-makers.  It  was  Joseph 
who  named  the  child  Jesus.    The  discovery  of  this  model 

306 


MOTHER'S  LETTER 


home  was  made  through  nature  ministering  to  the  Divinity 
which  "shapes  our  ends,  rough  hew  them  as  we  will." 
Mother  was  our  morning  and  evening  star,  guiding  our 
destiny  after  father's  death. 

My  sister  Harriet  says  she  remembers  well  grandmother's 
coming  in  the  morning  after  father  died  and  saying,  "Poor, 
dear  Wallace,"  and  weeping  as  if  her  heart  would  break, 
and  mother  trying  to  comfort  her.  But  it  was  like  mother 
to  forget  herself  in  others. 

She  could  not  remain  very  long  in  the  open  air,  and 
we  carried  her  in  to  lie  down  for  rest.  The  painfulness 
of  physical  weakness  was  hard  for  her  bright  spirit  to  endure. 
Relatives  and  friends  and  neighbors  came  to  see  her,  and 
she  had  a  cheery  word  for  all.  She  had  many,  many  warm 
friends  who  held  her  in  very  deep  esteem,  and  to  these  she 
gave  in  return  full  measure  and  running  over.  She  took 
too  little  nourishment  to  keep  up  her  strength,  yet  some- 
how her  sick  bed  was  bright.  One  day  I  asked  her  if  she 
could  take  a  taste  of  fresh  trout.  I  went  to  the  mouth  of 
the  brook  on  the  river,  threw  in  the  line  and  hooked  a 
salmon  trout,  the  finest  I  had  ever  seen,  and  we  said,  "It 
was  a  Godsend."  September  grew  cooler,  and  we  chose 
the  warmer  spots  for  her,  but  she  could  not  remain  longer 
out  of  doors,  and  then  only  on  the  brightest  days.  She 
was  gradually  letting  go  of  things  here,  and  holding  firmly 
to  the  love  of  her  Saviour.  We  children  did  not  under- 
stand it  then  as  we  do  now.  She  was  preparing  for  the 
separation  and  we  felt  she  was  gradually  going  from  us. 
Her  life  was  slowly  ebbing,  without  murmur  or  complaint. 
All  the  ministers  called  to  see  her.  The  doctor  could  do 
no  more.  September  had  gone,  Uncle  Samuel  was  often  in. 
October  came,  and  she  was  weaker,  but  her  mind  was 
clear.    She  took  my  hand  and  asked  me  to  go  to  Mrs. 

307 


HOME-MAKING  AND  ITS  PHILOSOPHY 


Horton's,  three  miles  distant,  and  ask  her  to  come.  When 
we  returned  our  dear  mother  had  gone  away. 

We  believed  as  we  were  taught,  that  God  in  His  wisdom 
had  called  her  to  a  higher  sphere  and  it  was  our  duty  to 
submit  to  His  righteous  will.    And  we  still  believe  it. 

No  burdens  yonder, 

All  sorrow  past; 
No  burdens  yonder, 

Home  at  last. 

The  pastor's  address  contained  an  appreciation  of  her 
graces  and  abilities  in  the  home,  in  the  church,  and  in  the 
community.  Her  body  lies  in  the  Baptist  Church  cemetery 
in  Stewiacke  Village,  with  those  of  friends  who  were  in 
fellowship  in  life  and  death.  Two  monuments  are  erected 
side  by  side,  to  the  cherished  memory  of  father  and  mother. 

Over  the  river,  faces  I  see, 
Fair  as  the  morning,  looking  for  me; 
Free  from  their  sorrow,  grief,  and  despair, 
Waiting  and  watching  patiently  there. 
Father  and  mother,  safe  in  the  vale, 
Watch  for  the  boatman,  wait  for  the  sail 
Bearing  the  loved  ones  over  the  tide, 
Into  the  harbor  near  to  their  side. 

Sweet  little  darlings,  light  of  the  home, 
Looking  for  some  one,  beckoning  come; 
Bright  as  the  sunbeams,  pure  as  the  dew, 
Anxiously  looking,  mother,  for  you. 
Jesus  the  Saviour,  bright  morning  star, 
Looking  for  lost  ones  straying  afar; 
Hear  the  glad  message:    Why  will  you  roam, 
Jesus  is  calling,  sinner,  come  home. 

Looking  this  way,  yes,  looking  this  way; 
Loved  ones  are  waiting,  looking  this  way. 
Fair  as  the  morning,  bright  as  the  day, 
Dear  ones  in  glory,  looking  this  way. 

308 


MOTHER'S  LETTER 


"Use  the  opportunities  you  have,  make  the  best  of  your 
circumstances,  however  unpromising.  Give  your  hearts  to 
God  and  your  lives  to  earnest  work  and  loving  purpose, 
and  you  will  never  live  in  vain.  Men  will  feel  your  influence 
like  the  scent  of  a  bank  of  violets,  fragrant  from  the  hidden 
sweetness  of  the  spring,  and  men  will  miss  your  communings 
as  if  a  calm,  familiar  star  had  shot  suddenly  and  brightly 
from  your  presence;  and  if  there  wave  not  at  your  funeral 
the  trappings  of  the  world's  gaudy  woe  and  the  pageantry 
of  the  world's  surface  honor,  eyes  full  of  heart-break  will 
gaze  wistfully  adown  the  path  you  have  vanished,  and  in 
the  long,  long  after-time  hearts  which  you  have  helped  to 
make  happy  will  recall  vour  memory  with  gratitude  and 
tears."  The  foregoing  is  from  a  lecture  by  Dr.  Puncheon, 
given  in  the  Academy  of  Music  in  Halifax  in  1867.  It  is 
a  quotation  from  memory  and  it  is  given  as  expressive  of 
the  lives  of  our  parents. 

I  wish  it  were  possible  to  portray  the  feelings  of  each 
child  as  we  returned  into  the  home  after  the  burial.  These 
feelings  were  held  by  each  as  sacred,  and  never  can  be 
faithfully  transcribed.  Mother  gave  her  life  to  inspire  and 
leave  with  us  a  lesson  to  last  for  eternity.  From  the  moment 
we  returned  to  the  house  the  home  was  vacant,  and  nothing 
we  could  do  would  even  partially  fill  the  void.  But  we 
cannot  leave  mother's  teachings  behind  without  personal 
loss.  The  overshadowing  sadness  subdued  us  within  the 
house,  we  could  not  regain  the  hopefulness  of  the  past. 
Our  strong,  magnetic,  sympathizing  counsellor  had  gone, 
and  we  did  not  know  how  to  direct  our  course.  Our  house 
was  there  and  the  farm,  but  the  spirit  of  the  home  had 
fled  and  we  felt  lonely. 

We  drew  nearer  together,  and  for  the  first  time  the  cold 
grayness  of  duty  appeared,  and  we  must  do  it  because  we 

309 


HOME-MAKING  AND  ITS  PHILOSOPHY 


must.  But  the  feeling  of  loneliness  was  a  sad  experience 
that  often  came.  Each  of  us  at  times  would  seek  solace 
in  worldly  pursuits.  But  we  had  our  moments  when  we 
found  happiness  in  counting  our  "Dear  ones  in  heaven, 
looking  this  way."  Father  and  mother,  three  baby  brothers, 
our  Uncle  William,  the  Doctor,  Aunt  Sarah,  with  our 
grandparents  and  others  we  had  loved  in  this  home. 

The  homestead  had  now  lost  its  central  figures,  and  we 
began  to  separate.  One  by  one,  a  family  of  seven,  we 
became  teachers.  We  kept  the  family  lines  cross-cut  with 
letters  going  fast,  and  we  frequently  met  about  the  home. 
The  books  of  school  grew  smaller  as  the  books  of  nature 
and  experience  opened  wider.  Friends  met  friends  here 
and  there,  and  mutually  imparted  sympathy  and  counsel. 

Not  gold  but  only  boys  make  men;  these  only  make  a 
people  great  and  strong  with  truth  inlaid.  Perfume  is  the 
very  life  and  soul  of  the  flower.  No  man  deserves  more 
of  his  race  than  those  who  keep  men  mindful  of  their  child- 
hood years,  and  send  refreshing  streams  of  sentiment  and 
feeling  coursing  through  the  latest  days  of  sordid  work  and 
worry.  We  may  enjoy  the  sweetness  of  after  life  by  living 
in  the  light  of  early  love.  Clouds  have  their  trailers,  and 
the  strongest  sunlight  its  rosy  redness.  We  have  seen  the 
young  robins  on  the  nesting  ledge  in  the  springtime,  and 
in  the  autumn  fly  far,  far  away.  The  viney  veils  of  youth- 
ful tenderness  ripen  to  an  oaken  strength,  to  breast  the 
storms  of  life  and  hold  eternity  in  touch.  Simplicity  of 
thought,  with  strength  of  feeling,  is  the  pearl  of  charming 
life  in  young  or  old,  and  the  poetical  expression  of  human 
existence. 

The  following  letter  is  from  our  cousin,  Rev.  E.  N. 
Archibald,  written  to  the  seven  children  shortly  after  our 
bereavement: 

310 


MOTHER'S  LETTER 


My  Sear  Cousins:  I  just  now  saw  the  dear  name  of  your  departed 
mother  in  the  death  list  of  the  Christian  Messenger.  How  sad  I  feel  for 
you  and  for  my  loss.  I  loved  your  mother.  How  I  regret  that  I  have 
seen  her  so  seldom  of  late.  The  last  time  I  was  home  I  had  but  two 
days,  and  it  was  impossible  for  me  to  do  justice  to  my  dear  sick  mother 
to  go  and  see  you,  and  yet  do  we  not  see  different  now.  If  I  had  known, 
what  we  cannot  know,  that  she  was  so  near  the  great  eternity,  I  would 
have  gone  by  night  to  bid  her  a  final  farewell.  And  is  she  gone,  your 
own  dear  mother  ?  Where,  dear  bereaved  children  ?  I  know  she  died 
trusting  in  the  blood  and  merits  of  the  blessed  Jesus.  Then  there  is  but 
one  answer.  She  is  with  Jesus.  O,  how  happy!  She,  no  doubt,  has 
met  before  this  her  dear  sainted  husband  and  your  father  and  my  beloved 
uncle.  O,  how  sweet  to  meet  after  eight  years  of  separation.  Dear 
Aunt  Sarah,  Uncle  William,  grandfather  and  mother,  my  brother  Dickie, 
O,  how  precious  to  me!  Dear  Cousin  George  and  O,  how  many  others 
that  were  brothers  and  sisters  in  the  Lord's  church  here  below.  How 
many  that  were  once  so  active,,  and  now  cold  in  death.  Dear  cousins, 
will  we  not  learn  to  live  for  God,  that  we  may  be  fully  prepared  when  our 
turn  comes?  It  will  come,  it  is  drawing  near  us.  "Be  ye  also  ready'5 
is  the  warning  voice.  I  cannot  feel  for  you  as  I  would  like.  My  parents 
still  live.  But  I  know  they  will  soon  have  to  pass  through  the  same  dark 
waters.  But  I  know  that  religion  will  support  me  as  I  feel  it  has  some  of 
you.  I  want  to  know  these  bereavements  are  sanctified  to  your  good, 
Willie,  and  Harriet  and  Emily,  and  George.  Now  perhaps  you  were 
forgetting  Him,  seeking  the  things  of  this  world  and  forgetting  the  next. 
Jesus  saw  this  and  out  of  love  He  has,  in  order  to  lead  you  back  humbly 
to  His  feet,  taken  dear,  dear  mother.  O,  then  will  you  not  love  Him  better  ? 
Don't  be  too  anxious  for  time.  We  must  soon  be  gone.  "Lay  up 
treasures  in  heaven."  I  long  to  have  a  letter  from  you  to  hear  how  dear 
mother  died,  and  I  know  that  you  have  Jesus's  love  the,  more  because 
you  have  no  mother  here.  To  all  the  other  deariittle  ones,  Arthur,  Sarah 
and  Anna,  I  would  say  pray  to  Jesus  often,  very  often,  to  change  your 
hearts  and  take  you  by  and  by  to  be  with  Jesus  and  mother  and  father 
in  Heaven.  And  to  you  I  would  say,  "See,  O  see,  that  as  far  as  possible 
you  act  in  their  stead,  fulfilling  their  dying  wishes."  I  left  Mrs.  Archibald 
and  baby  well  last  Friday.  I  am  now  on  a  three  weeks'  mission  to  the 
east  of  the  Island,  to  seek  poor  souls  for  Jesus.  O,  that  God  might  bless 
the  word  and  my  poor  soul  with  more  love  for  sinners  drifting  to  ruin. 

311 


HOME-MAKING  AND  ITS  PHILOSOPHY 


It  seems  to  me  that  God  is  about  to  bless  us.  Pray  for  us  and  for  all  that 
are  plucking  brands  from  the  burning.  Will  I  ever  see  any  of  you  in 
my  home  ?  How  glad  I  would  be.  May  the  time  come.  I  must  now 
close,  hoping  to  hear  from  you  shortly.  This  letter  is  a  token  of  my 
sincere  love  and  sympathy  for  you  all. 

Elikaim  N.  Archibald. 

A  letter  from  our  cousin  "Squire  "  John,  youngest  son  of 
Wellwood  Reynolds,  now  eighty  years  of  age,  says:  "The 
Archibalds  have  more  than  held  their  own  in  Musquodoboit. 
Well  nigh  one-fourth  of  the  people  are  Archibalds,  and 
one-fourth  more  married  Archibalds,  while  others  have 
gone  away  to  start  new  homes.  I  often  think  of  your 
mother  getting  along  so  well,  with  a  large  family.  Few 
did  it  better.    She  was  one  of  my  favorites." 

Reading  aloud  is  a  great  touchstone  in  drawing  a  family 
together.  There  was  a  beauty  of  thought  and  a  reverence 
of  expression  springing  out  of  a  religious  nature.  The 
golden  threads  and  fiber  of  spiritual  life  had  great  strength 
in  those  two  pillars,  Samuel  Burke  Archibald  and  his  son 
Wallace,  who  went  from  this  household  within  a  year. 
Their  natures  had  been  imbued  with  the  Divine  by  their 
attitude  towards  God  as  their  father,  and  His  works  in 
nature. 

Brother  George,  in  an  editorial  in  The  Stewiacke  Enter- 
prisey  from  which  I  quote,  says:  "Beautiful  Musquodoboit, 
thy  very  name  is  music  to  the  ear  of  him  who  has  once 
learned  to  love  thee  in  thy  shy  and  retiring  and  almost 
unknown  loveliness.  How  sweetly  does  thy  noble  stream 
meander  through  green  glades  and  grassy  meadow.  How 
beautiful  in  the  springtime  do  thy  'banks  and  braes' 
array  themselves  in  floral  glories.  Far  and  wide  stretch 
thy  rich  acres,  tilled  by  as  worthy  a  population  as  even 
sturdy  Nova  Scotia  can  produce.    Here  generations  have 

312 


MOTHER'S  LETTER 


lived — a  grand  race  of  people,  a  credit  and  pride  to  any 
country.  'Far  from  the  madding  crowds'  they  pursue 
the  quiet  and  unobtrusive  life,  of  which  the  brain-weary 
traveller  in  the  crowded  mart  so  often  dreams.  Cultivating 
the  soil  of  the  paternal  acres,  raising  their  families  in  the 
fear  of  God,  and  ever  and  anon  sending  forth  from  their 
quiet  valley  strong-brained  and  vigorous  men  and  women 
who  make  their  mark  wherever  they  may  go.  Over  fifty 
years  ago  it  had  a  reputation  for  good  schools  and  wise, 
enterprising  teachers,  which  spread  far  beyond  her  natural 
borders." 


V3 


CHAPTER  III 


THE  MISSIONARY  SPIRIT 

AROUND  the  beginning  of  the  nineteenth  century 
cluster  several  unwritten  historical  events  in  which 
many  families  in  the  British  Maritime  Provinces, 
the  United  States,  Great  Britain  and  India  were  interested, 
and  which  were  far  reaching  in  shaping  their  religious 
beliefs.  William  Carey  was  converted  in  1783,  and  sailed 
for  India  in  1793,  being  the  first  modern  missionary  to  the 
heathen  world.  His  discovery  of  an  old  Bible  truth  that 
the  acceptance  of  Christianity  by  the  heathen  world  depended 
upon  the  efforts  of  Christians,  was  a  new  gospel  out  of  an 
old  book. 

Our  grandfather  was  born  in  1776  and  came  to  Mus- 
quodoboit  in  1797,  where  he  married  in  1801  Margaret  Dech- 
man,  born  in  a  Christian  family  in  Edinburgh.  This  family 
of  Presbyterian  faith  removed  to  Halifax  shortly  after  her 
birth. 

Adoniram  Judson  was  born  in  1788  at  Maiden,  Mass. 
With  his  newly  wedded  wife  and  the  Newells  he  sailed  for 
India,  reaching  Rangoon  in  18 13.  The  intelligence  of 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Judson's  study  of  the  Scriptures  from  a  new 
point  of  view  on  the  ship's  journey,  and  of  their  subsequent 
desire  to  place  themselves  under  the  Board  of  the  American 
Baptist  Missionary  Union,  was  not  long  in  reaching  the 
bounds  of  the  Christian  world.  The  existing  churches  in 
the  Maritime  Provinces  had  been  greatly  disturbed  by  an 
earlier  movement,  locally  known  as  the  "New  Light  Stir," 
led  by  the  Rev.  Henry  Allen  from  New  England.  When 
a  very  young  boy  I  heard  my  grandmother  tell  about  these 
things.    She  spoke  of  him  as  Rev.  Henry  Alline. 

Nova  Scotia  was  then  a  newly  settled  country,  and  the 

3H 


THE  MISSIONART  SPIRIT 


nearest  neighbors  were  the  forest  trees,  who  never  harbored 
prejudices;  and  the  settlers  were  much  alone  with  them 
to  work  out  the  truth  into  beautiful  personalities.  When 
the  tidings  reached  our  grandfather's  home  of  Mr.  Judson's 
change  in  doctrinal  views,  they  seem  to  have  been  pro- 
foundly impressed.  They  were  both  Bible  readers.  They 
were  impressed  because  they  regarded  the  Judsons  from 
America  as  leaders  in  this  new  mission  movement,  and  this 
awakened  a  deeper  interest  in  Bible  study.  How  often 
we  heard  them  say,  "How  thankful  we  should  be  that 
we  were  born  in  a  Christian  land  with  the  gospel  of  salva- 
tion sounding  in  our  ears."  I  do  not  recall  in  either  home 
a  prayer  at  the  family  altar  which  did  not  breathe  a  desire 
for  the  spread  of  the  Gospel  among  those  who  were  ignorant 
of  it,  and  "who  were  bowing  down  to  stocks  and  stones/' 
I  remember  the  old  yellow  magazines  of  the  Missionary 
Intelligencer,  without  covers,  dated  1818  and  1819,  and 
printed  in  narrow  double  columns,  with  letters  from  Mr. 
Judson  and  Nancy  Judson.  These  were  very  easy  for 
children  to  read,  too.  Our  father  was  born  in  18 18,  the 
year  the  first  steamship,  the  "Savannah,"  crossed  the 
Atlantic  and  in  the  very  midst  of  this  great  awakening, 
and  this  fact  is  taken  into  account  in  measuring  the  strength 
of  his  spiritual  insight  into  missions.  His  zeal  had  as  its 
basis  a  firm  belief  in  the  providential  guidance  of  events. 
He  had  faith  in  the  ability  of  a  human  sympathetic  spirit 
to  work  with  God.  This  faith  seemed  as  deep  as  life  itself. 
It  was  faith  with  Works.  We  children  never  heard  in  all 
our  lives  a  profane  word  from  either  grandfather  or  father. 
Our  father  was  never  known  to  be  otherwise  than  respectful 
and  deferential  to  his  father  and  mother  to  the  day  of  his 
death.  This  is  a  valuable  asset  in  character  to  transmit 
to  posterity.    This  element  in  life  cannot  be  too  conspicuous. 

315 


HOME-MAKING  AND  ITS  PHILOSOPHY 


The  Archibald  race  are  a  reverential  and  medially 
religious  people,  and  this  may  be  regarded  the  most  valuable 
asset  of  a  family.  Grandfather  was  a  man  of  very  inde- 
pendent thought,  deliberation  and  conscientious  convictions. 
When  they  joined  the  Baptists  it  cost  them  a  sacrifice  we 
know  not  of  to-day.  Grandfather  and  grandmother  ac- 
cepted the  principles  of  Baptist  polity  about  the  year  1815. 
The  nearest  church  organization  was  at  Onslow.  The 
Stewiacke  church  was  founded  by  Elder  James  Munroe 
in  1832.  At  first  it  consisted  of  fifteen  members,  some 
of  whom  removed  from  the  Onslow  Church  to  Stewiacke. 
Some  of  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Judson's  letters  were  copied  into 
a  Nova  Scotia  Baptist  Miscellany,  which  I  think  was  pub- 
lished at  Halifax  years  before  the  Christian  Messenger, 
which  was  established  in  1837.  We  remember  old  copies 
of  the  Messenger  preserved  in  trunks  or  boxes,  as  We  were 
subscribers  the  first  year  and  never  a  copy  was  destroyed 
or  used  as  a  wrapper  in  that  generation  without  severe 
reproof.  During  the  seven  years  Dr.  Judson  labored  in 
India  before  he  made  a  single  convert,  many  prayers  as- 
cended on  his  behalf  and  the  heathen  people,  but  Christians 
were  slowly  learning  God's  way  and  will  in  beginning  a 
new  and  larger  work.  There  was  something  in  their  storing 
away  the  religious  papers,  for  it  showed  their  purpose 
to  preserve  the  good  in  them  for  those  who  were  to  follow. 

Grandmother  was  our  "  chronicler "  and  she  told  the 
family  the  names  of  all  the  preachers,  and  their  sermons, 
and  the  texts,  and  the  "heads  of  their  discourse/'  over  and 
over,  else  we  would  not  have  remembered  them  at  all. 

Our  homes  were  open  houses  for  the  ministers  of  what- 
ever name,  and  they  found  no  more  hospitable  ones  in  the 
country.  There  was  the  Rev.  John  Sprott  of  eccentric  fame; 
the  Rev.  William  Burton;  the  Rev.  Mr.  Graham,  who 

316 


THE  MISSIONARY  SPIRIT 


came  to  Stewiacke  from  Cornwallis,  followed  by  Mr.  New- 
comb,  an  old  parishioner;  the  Dimocks,  who  came  from 
Connecticut,  a  very  fine  race  of  people,  first  Rev.  Daniel 
Dimock,  then  Rev.  Shubiel  Dimock,  his  son  Rev.  Anthony 
Dimock,  who  was  pastor  of  the  Stewiacke  church.  I 
remember  him  at  our  breakfast  table.  He  was  greatly 
beloved  by  our  people.  He  was  very  lame  in  walking. 
There  were  also  Rev.  George  Richardson,  who  was  our 
maternal  grandfather;  Rev.  Mr.  Delaney,  Rev.  Nathan 
Cleveland,  and  Rev.  D.  W.  C.  Dimock. 

Our  father  and  mother  had  a  rich  bequeathment  in 
missionary  literature.  Zeal  for  truth  possessing  power 
weighed  more  with  them  than  ecclesiasticism  or  scholastic 
attainments.  Our  Sabbath  papers  furnished  us  with  in- 
formation of  the  Moravian  mission  work  abroad  and  the  arrival 
of  a  colony  in  Pennsylvania  in  1732.  Their  zeal  was  in- 
fectious. They  seemed  to  act  as  a  unit  in  sending  mis- 
sionaries and  supporting  them,  as  they  do  to-day  under 
great  financial  difficulties,  because  their  work  has  grown 
beyond  their  numbers.  These  peculiar  people  still  live 
in  a  sweet  and  natural  simplicity,  and  little  influenced  by 
the  artificialities  of  modern  civilization.  But  their  missionary 
spirit  is  growing.  Near  their  beautiful  town  of  Bethlehem 
lies  their  cemetery,  studded  with  magnificent  cedars  and 
without  tombstones  or  family  lots  fenced  off,  for  the  Mora- 
vians believe  that  in  "  God's  acre,"  as  everywhere  else,  all 
are  equal.  Flowers  bloom  on  all  the  tombs  alike,  abun- 
dantly and  sweetly.  On  Easter  morn,  at  the  spring  of  day, 
there  is  held  an  open-air  service,  first  in  front  of  the  church, 
and  then  in  procession  with  band  they  enter  the  "city  of 
the  dead"  and  march  up  and  down  the  avenues  to  the  slow 
strains  of  sacred  music,  soft  and  low.  They  halt  at  the 
speakers'  mount  and  just  as  the  first  rays  of  the  rising  sun 

3*7 


HOME-MAKING  AND  ITS  PHILOSOPHY 


reach  their  eyes,  a  rousing  blast  is  sounded  by  the  herald — 
the  band  plays  joyously,  the  congregation  sings  with  shouts 
of  victory  as  it  greets  and  ushers  in  the  glorious  Easter  day. 
The  story  of  the  resurrection  is  told  again,  what  it  has  done 
for  the  world  and  what  it  will  still  do. 

Dr.  Judson  had  been  four  years  in  Burma  before  he 
found  one  man  who  believed  in  an  eternal  God.  This 
information  revealed  the  sad  state  of  the  heathen  to  our 
people  in  a  stronger  light.  Then  we  had  more  or  less 
writings  of  Moffat  and  Livingstone  from  Africa.  The 
children  imbibed  without  reserve  the  truth  that  purely 
human  effort  without  including  God  in  the  plans  of  life 
means  a  failure — but  that  the  exalting  and  strengthening 
of  the  spiritual  nature  above  the  human  lifts  man  to  his 
highest  possible  place.  In  this  view  the  preacher  is  God's 
chosen  servant  to  remind,  encourage  and  enlighten  the 
people  in  the  word  and  spirit  of  Jehovah.  They  were  the 
sincere  friends  of  the  missionary  and  preacher,  who  received 
no  adequate  equivalent  for  a  self-denying  life. 

The  masses  must  be  thoughtfully  led  into  a  receptive 
mind  to  receive  God's  message  conveyed  to  them.  When 
we  weigh  the  two-fold  nature  of  man  and  compare  and 
balance  values,  the  human  nature  side  is  evanescent  and 
soon  forgotten. 

Our  eldest  sister,  Harriet,  was  named  for  Mrs.  Newell, 
whose  lovable  life  and  noble  character  were  appreciated 
by  our  parents.  Mrs.  Harriet  Newell  was  the  first  Baptist 
martyr  in  India.  She  Was  buried  on  the  Isle  of  France  in 
1 8 1 2.  The  memory  of  her  beautiful  young  life  was  cherished 
by  our  parents  for  the  spirit  it  evinced  towards  the  work 
of  missions.  This  sister  naturally  possessed  the  spiritual 
essence  of  mission  work  and  the  abiding  love  of  doing  good 
and  radiating  it  around  her.    At  one  period  she  contem- 

318 


THE  MISSIONARY  SPIRIT 


plated  giving  herself  wholly  to  the  work,  but  man  some- 
times frustrates  our  cherished  hopes  and  plans. 

The  missionary  intelligence  fed  a  thirst  for  knowledge. 
The  life  and  labors  of  Dr.  Judson,  month  by  month  and 
year  by  year,  were  much  read  and  commented  on  in  the 
family,  and  kept  the  children  interested.  Mrs.  Ann  Hazel- 
tine  Judson  wrote  a  little  pamphlet  on  missions  for  circula- 
tion. But  she  died  in  1826  at  the  early  age  of  thirty-seven, 
when  Dr.  Judson  was  away  from  home. 

By  foreign  hands  thy  dying  eyes  were  closed, 
By  foreign  hands  thy  weary  limbs  composed, 

By  foreign  hands  thy  humble  grave  adorned, 

By  strangers  honored,  and  by  strangers  mourned. 

Eight  years  later,  in  1834,  Dr.  Judson  and  Mrs.  Sarah 
Boardman,  widow  of  the  late  missionary  at  Tavoy,  were 
married.  The  precarious  nature  of  the  lives  of  missionaries 
and  their  self-sacrificing  work  deepened  the  interest  of  the 
children  in  missions. 

We  were  kept  fairly  well  informed  by  the  various  papers 
and  books  out  of  the  Sunday  school  library.  When  Mrs. 
Sarah  Boardman  Judson  died,  eleven  years  after  her  marriage 
to  Dr.  Judson,  it  was  much  talked  of  in  both  families,  for 
it  was  realized  that  the  missionary  movement  was  sustain- 
ing heavy  losses. 

Mournfully,  tenderly, 

Bear  onward  the  dead, 
Where  the  warrior  has  lain 

Let  the  Christian  be  laid; 
No  place  more  befitting, 

Oh!  Rock  of  the  sea! 
Never  such  treasure 

Was  hidden  in  thee! 

To  children  there  is  something  particularly  fascinating 

3J9 


HOME-MAKING  AND  ITS  PHILOSOPHY 


in  a  story  about  young  people  starting  out  in  life  for  the 
first  time.  They  note  carefully  each  step  of  their  way,  and 
study  the  difficulties  they  encounter,  and  observe  how  they 
overcome  them,  and  feel  the  push  and  persistence  they 
show  to  get  ahead,  and  glory  with  them  at  the  end  in  their 
rewards.  The  early  life  of  Emily  Chubbuck  was  such  a 
story.  Her  comparative  poverty  at  home,  being  a  worker 
in  a  woollen  mill  on  very  small  pay,  made  her  love  and 
devotion  to  her  sick  sister,  Lavinia,  express  the  very  kernel 
of  the  pure  missionary  spirit.  This  was  shown  by  minis- 
trations with  cheerfulness,  to  brighten  the  departing  life 
of  one  she  dearly  loved.  On  a  half  holiday  from  the  mills 
she  led  the  way  to  a  pretty  woods,  where  she  carried  a 
buffalo  robe  to  spread  on  the  green,  while  the  father  carried 
his  sick  daughter  to  breathe  the  woodsy  air  and  enjoy  the 
change  for  an  afternoon.  Here  were  whiling  thoughts 
steeped  in  communion  with  nature's  sweetest  breaths, 
where  the  violets  and  other  pretty  babes  of  the  wild  toss 
to  us  their  fragrant  showers  of  life.  It  gave  the  sick  one 
one  day  more  of  renewing  life.  She  may  be  remembering 
it  still — for  it  was  the  last  time  she  was  ever  permitted  to 
go  there. 

She  lived  only  a  month  longer.  The  day  on  which  she 
died  Emily  begged  from  a  neighbor's  garden  on  her  way 
home  an  apronful  of  roses,  which  she  carried  into  the  sick- 
room. She  rallied  a  moment  and  Emily  laid  the  flowers 
upon  the  bed, — a  smile  at  the  act  is  all  that  remains.  In 
the  last  moment  of  life  she  exclaimed,  "Glory,  glory!  My 
Father!    Jesus!"  and  breathed  no  more. 

This  incident  occurred  at  Pratt's  Hollow,  New  York. 
Emily  Chubbuck  was  a  beautiful  writer  in  both  poetry  and 
prose,  under  the  pen  name  of  "Fanny  Forrester."  Her 
thoughts  were  full   of  sweetness  and  with  a  delightful 

320 


THE  MISSIONARY  SPIRIT 


tenderness  we  do  not  forget.  At  the  early  age  of  twelve 
she  had  thoughts  of  mission  life.  She  became  the  third 
wife  of  Dr.  Judson.  Her  letters  from  Burma  were  regarded 
as  models  of  correspondence.  She  was  born  in  iSiy  and 
died  in  1854,  about  three  years  after  the  death  of  Dr.  Judson. 
Our  people  firmly  believed  in  the  leading  and  guiding  and 
wisdom  of  Providence. 

Our  second  sister,  Emily,  was  named  for  Mrs.  Judson, 
and  was  born  six  years  before  Mrs.  Judson's  death.  Sister 
Emily  is  also  our  model  letter-writer.  She  leads  us  all  in 
style  and  form  and  substance,  that  touch  the  heart  and 
intellect  of  all  her  friends.  She  is  never  unkind  or  untrue, 
but  full  of  self-sacrifice  and  sympathy  to  all  in  need.  She 
is  a  faithful  friend  and  regular  giver  to  the  cause  of  missions 
at  home  and  abroad.  She  is  a  good  conversationalist  and 
on  worthy  subjects  glows  with  spirit  and  intelligence.  She 
has  borne  a  goodly  share  of  sorrow,  toil  and  disappointments 
but  contrives  to  cheer  the  downcast  with  a  philosophical 
cheerfulness.  She  loves  her  Saviour  and  those  who  suffer 
most.    We  remember  her  in  love  and  affection. 

We  owe  more  to  our  ancestral  inheritance  than  we 
realize.  I  remember  well  our  dear  little  brother  Anthony, 
named  for  our  pastor  in  1848,  Rev.  Anthony  Dimock. 
He  was  a  beautiful  child,  but  died  of  scarlet  fever  at  three 
years  of  age,  causing  deepest  sorrow  in  our  home. 

Our  sister  Sarah  was  named  for  our  aunt,  who  was 
preparing  for  missionary  work  when  stricken  with  con- 
sumption. Hers  was  a  lovely  character,  unusually  promis- 
ing. Our  sister  has  her  abilities  and  likeness.  She  has 
been  a  keen  sufferer  for  a  few  years  at  the  Victoria  Hospital 
and  at  home0  Our  united  sympathies  have  all  gone  to  her 
in  her  severe  affliction.  Her  life  has  been  a  noble  one, 
shining  as  a  teacher  and  a  home-maker.    Each  stretches  out 

321 


HOME-MAKING  AND  ITS  PHILOSOPHT 


an  invisible  hand  through  great  distances  in  loving  regards 
and  sympathetic  touch  to  mellow  the  light  and  ease  the 
pain  to  her  eyes  and  prolong  her  dear  life. 

It  has  been  said  of  the  Archibald  race  that  they  merge 
their  lineal  traits  in  the  baby  of  the  family.  Anna  was  our 
baby,  and  mother  named  her  for  herself  in  1858.  Her 
sprightliness  and  cheerfulness  were  always  infectious,  both 
in  the  sunlight  or  in  the  shadows.  She  has  been  able  to 
develop  and  strengthen  her  missionary  inheritance  by 
devoted  service  abroad.  Possessed  of  deep,  refined  sym- 
pathy for  suffering  humanity,  she  naturally  joined  herself 
to  the  beautiful  in  life,  and  has  grown  into  an  unusual  love 
for  flowers — the  angels  of  earth — and  gathers  them  in  their 
ministry  of  beauty.  She  left  us  for  the  Hill's  of  Washington, 
and  then  was  sent  out  by  the  Baptist  Mission  Board  of 
that  State  to  the  Alaska  field,  for  mission  work  among  the 
Indians  at  the  government  reservations. 

Brother  George  stands  strong  in  reverential  affection 
and  parental  regard  for  father  and  mother  and  the  old 
Red  Home.  He  enjoys  the  combat  of  municipal  and 
political  life,  and  the  humor  of  the  situation.  He  is  an 
admirer  of  Sir  Charles  Tupper,  for  whom  he  named  a  son. 

Rev.  Arthur  R.  R.  Crawley,  missionary  to  Burma,  was 
born  at  Sydney  and  sailed  from  Boston  in  1853,  and  our 
people's  thoughts  and  feelings  went  deeper  into  missions. 
Mr.  Crawley  reached  Henthada  in  1854.  Brother  Arthur 
was  named  for  this  missionary,  and  it  was  father's  expressed 
intention  to  give  him  an  education  with  this  work  in  view. 
But  our  father's  premature  death  necessitated  a  change 
of  plans.  He  and  his  numerous  boys  are  charmed  with 
the  lowing  of  herds  and  the  neighing  of  steeds  on  the  plains 
in  the  old,  patriarchal  way. 

In  my  own  family  we  named  two  children  for  missionaries, 

322 


THE  MISSIONARY  SPIRIT 


Isaac  Chipman  Archibald  for  his  cousin,  the  missionary 
to  India,  now  home  on  furlough  with  Mrs.  Archibald; 
and  Henrietta  Feller,  named  for  Madame  Feller,  founder 
of  the  Grand  Ligne  Mission.  My  heart's  desire  is  that 
no  thought  or  act  of  mine  may  injure  the  tender  feelings  of 
any  one  or  pain  a  single  soul  upon  the  earth;  but  to  give 
to  all  kindlier  feelings  and  sweeter  messages  of  truth  to 
live  on  and  on.  I  have  lived  much  alone  in  the  exultant 
liberty  in  nature's  dells,  and  find  happiness  there  in  com- 
munion with  my  Maker,  steadily  striving  to  read  into  life 
the  intricate  and  beautiful.  I  have  much  to  be  thankful 
for,  but  most  of  all  for  our  sound  inheritance  received  from 
our  sainted  father  and  mother. 

Forty-two  years  have  gone  since  mother's  last  parting 
from  the  dear  old  home.  We  remain  an  unbroken  band 
of  seven.  The  loom  of  time  has  woven  in  the  years  passing 
threads.  "Honor  thy  father  and  thy  mother,  that  thy 
days  may  be  long  in  the  land  which  the  Lord  thy  God 
giveth  thee." 


323 


CHAPTER  IV 


A  SURVEY  OF  MISSIONS  IN  INDIA 

IN  family  history  we  have  grateful  recollections  of  the 
missionary  spirit  in  our  parental  home  and  in  that 
of  our  grandsire.  The  children  had  set  great  value 
upon  this  inheritance  and  instruction  before  they  reached 
mature  life.  The  seeds  of  knowledge  have  grown  and 
were  expressed  in  thoughts  and  deeds.  The  limits  of  this 
volume  will  not  permit  beautiful  and  interesting  excursions 
into  the  various  branch  lines  of  this  influential  family.  Be- 
fore closing  this  chapter  the  author  wishes  to  show  the 
development  of  the  missionary  spirit.  "The  Unfinished 
Task,"  by  Dr.  Barton,  has  furnished  a  brief  but  compre- 
hensive survey  of  missions  to  1908,  and  to  this  book  I  am 
indebted  for  the  following  data  concerning  early  and  prom- 
inent missionaries. 

The  first  modern  missionary  movement  began  in  1792 
in  the  Baptist  Missionary  Society  of  England,  organized 
under  the  leadership  of  William  Carey,  followed  by  the 
London  Missionary  Society  in  1795,  and  the  Church  Mis- 
sionary Society  in  1799.  These  three  societies  soon  began 
to  attract  wide  attention.  The  American  Board  of  Foreign 
Missions  was  formed  in  18 10  and  the  Baptist  Missionary 
Union  was  formed  in  18 12.  The  Judsons  and  Mr. 
Newell  reached  Rangoon  in  18 13,  but  Mrs.  Newell  died  on 
the  way. 

The  more  closely  we  read,  the  more  deeply  we  are  im- 
pressed with  the  spirit  of  self-sacrifice  in  the  springtime  of 
this  Christ-inspired  movement. 

Henry  Martyn  went  to  India  in  1807.  The  writer 
recalls  an  interesting  incident  of  him.  Hannah  More 
was  visiting  the  home  of  Zachariah  Macaulay  when  the 

324 


A  SURVEY  OF  MISSIONS  IN  INDIA 


latter's  little  son  of  eight  years  composed  the  following 
lines: 

Here  Martyn  lies  in  manhood's  early  bloom; 
The  Christian  hero  found  a  pagan  tomb. 
Religion  sorrowing  o'er  her  favored  son, 
Points  to  the  glorious  trophies  which  he  won. 

The  prohibitory  stand  taken  against  missionaries  by 
the  East  India  Company  and  the  insecurity  to  life  were 
very  grave  difficulties  to  face.  The  Sepoy  Rebellion  in 
1857  purchased  at  a  cruel  cost  the  direct  control  of  Indian 
affairs  for  the  British  Parliament,  and  civil  liberty  for  the 
missionaries.  This  was  followed  by  educational  and  in- 
dustrial reform.  In  1908  among  the  three  hundred  millions 
in  India,  Burma  and  Ceylon,  ten  million  dollars  are  invested 
in  equipment  and  in  the  work  of  Christian  missions.  The 
blessed  Bible  is  translated  into  the  seventy  languages  and 
dialects  of  this  country  alone.  There  are  146 1  ordained 
foreign  missionaries,  but  including  the  unordained,  their 
wives,  and  the  unmarried,  there  is  a  total  of  4346  foreign 
missionaries  in  the  country.  These  are  distributed  in 
1846  cities  and  centers.  There  are  31,931  trained  native 
workers,  and  these  increase  the  mission  centers  to  8082. 
These  native  workers  are  mostly  supported  by  native  com- 
municants and  are  all  members  of  Protestant  native  churches. 
There  are  to  be  added  657,000,  who  are  under  training 
as  candidates  for  membership.  There  are  large  armies  of 
children  in  Christian  schools.  In  ten  years  the  Protestant 
native  Christians  showed  an  increase  of  fifty  per  cent. 
Christianity  has  reached  the  point  of  being  fifth  in  numbers 
among  the  religions  of  India.  Several  weekly  papers  are 
published  by  native  Indian  Christians.  When  King  Ed- 
ward VII  was  crowned  as  Emperor,  twenty  native  churches 
were  represented  and  six  representatives  were  ruling  princes. 

325 


HOME-MAKING  AND  ITS  PHILOSOPHY 


The  National  Missionary  Society  of  India  is  inter- 
denominational. Its  object  is  to  direct  and  increase  the 
number  of  native  workers  to  be  supported  by  native  churches. 
This  society  adopted  its  constitution  in  the  pagoda  where 
one  hundred  years  ago  Henry  Martyn  prayed  and  worked 
for  India's  evangelization.  When  we  recall  the  facts  that 
the  first  Hindu  convert  was  baptized  in  1800  and  that 
the  Commercial  Company  was  actively  opposed  to  missions 
until  1833,  and  also  consider  the  natural  barriers  to  the 
introduction  and  growth  of  the  spirit  of  Christianity,  we 
cannot  but  see  and  say  the  hand  of  God  has  led  to  the 
great  results  that  have  followed.  With  God's  guidance 
and  blessing  almost  insuperable  obstacles  have  been  largely 
overcome  in  the  century  just  passed.  What  encouragement 
we  have  to  expect  in  greater  results  in  the  future.  We  now 
have  the  allied  forces  of  commerce,  science  and  wealth,  as 
well  as  perfected  church  organizations. 

The  selfishness  in  the  heathen  world  without  Christ  is 
greater  than  in  the  Christian  world  where  the  spirit  of 
Christianity  prevails.  The  interest  of  commerce  in  opening 
the  doors  to  trade  has  also  opened  the  way  to  missions, 
and  treaties  have  conferred  security  to  both. 

Sir  Augustus  Rivers  Thompson,  Lieutenant-Governor 
of  Bengal,  said:  "In  my  judgment  Christian  missions  have 
done  more  real  lasting  good  to  the  people  of  India  than  all 
other  agencies  combined." 

In  Christian  literature  the  British  Foreign  Bible  Society, 
organized  in  1804,  anc^  tne  American  Bible  Society  in  18 16, 
are  the  greatest  means  in  all  the  earth  of  putting  the  Word 
of  God  into  native  and  dialect  languages.  This  great 
pervasive  work  means  the  preparation  of  the  literature 
the  people  need  to  read.  A  new  people  are  being  made 
ready  to  receive  and  read  the  Book  of  Life.  Education 

326 


A  SURVEY  OF  MISSIONS  IN  INDIA 


and  training  of  the  masses  will  break  down  prejudices, 
ignorance  now  maintained,  and  open  the  way  for  the  sweet 
influence  of  Christ  to  ennoble  their  lives.  A  trained  native 
force  would  serve  to  facilitate  evangelization.  There  are 
now  twenty-five  native  workers  to  every  ordained  missionary 
in  India.  The  American  Tract  Society  and  the  Christian 
Literature  Society  of  England  are  doing  greatest  service. 

The  wealth  of  the  Christian  world  has  rapidly  multiplied 
itself  in  comparison  with  that  of  the  unchristianized  nations. 
The  Student  Volunteer  Movement,  linked  with  the  federa- 
tion movement  of  the  thousands  of  students  from  the  schools 
and  universities,  will  represent  the  brain  and  consecration 
abroad,  and  have  the  far-reaching  significance  in  conquests 
of  truth  and  righteousness. 

Modern  missions  are  bringing  Christians  together  at 
home,  and  becoming  the  expression  of  spirituality.  Dr. 
Barton  continues:  "With  that  Gospel  which  points  all  men 
to  the  Lamb  of  God  which  taketh  away  the  sin  of  the  world, 
the  follower  of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  has  the  assurance 
that  he  possesses  the  remedy  capable  of  healing  the  broken- 
hearted, arousing  the  palsied  intellects,  creating  a  new 
society,  and  breathing  the  life  that  comes  from  heaven 
into  races  that  are  dead  in  trespasses  and  sins."  .  .  .  "The 
Christian  young  man  or  woman  desires  so  to  invest  his  life 
that  it  shall  become  a  real  asset  in  the  advance  of  the  King- 
dom, and  if  he  is  true  to  himself  and  to  Christ,  he  will  wish 
to  make  it  accomplish  most  for  the  advance  of  the  Kingdom 
of  God  on  earth." 


327 


CHAPTER  V 


MOTHER  AND  HER  CHARMS 

MOTHER  was  an  attractive  woman,  with  an  expres- 
sive face  and  figure.  Her  fine  forehead  was  crowned 
with  long,  dark,  glossy  hair,  which  was  combed  down 
the  facial  sides  and  carried  to  the  back  of  the  head  in  braids 
or  rolls.  Her  lower  face  was  round  and  evenly  refined. 
When  specially  animated  in  a  joyous  conversation  the 
raising  of  the  eyes  and  dilating  nostrils  together  displayed 
a  pleasing  personality.  The  nose  was  high,  of  medium 
width  and  straight,  with  mouth  no  more  than  medium.  Hei 
hands  at  rest  were  straight  and  shapely.  She  had  the 
pleasing  habit  of  waving  one  in  speech  to  accentuate  hel 
words.  The  thumb  rested  near  or  touching  the  forefinget 
and  pointed  slightly  upward.  If  her  forearm  rested  on  the 
chair  arm,  the  hand  would  rest  on  the  lengthy  finger  tips 
with  their  joints  in  curvature,  and  the  thumb  would  slightly 
drop.  If  the  narration  was  poetical  or  musical  the  hand 
would  shape  itself  to  readiness  and  strength.  Her  voice 
was  clear,  with  melody  intoned.  Her  weight  was  about 
one  hundred  and  sixteen  pounds.  Her  tread  was  soft  and 
her  walk  was  graceful,  with  decision.  The  facial  moves 
in  pleasure  or  in  pain  changed  quickly. 

Her  complexion  was  fair  and  light,  with  long  dark  lashes 
and  eyes  of  medium  blue,  with  eyebrows  arched.  An 
assenting  movement  of  the  head  brought  the  color,  and  was 
most  expressive  of  her  character.  It  was  indeed  a  second 
language.  We  children  learned  to  study  it.  She  talked 
but  little,  or  at  times,  but  was  a  good  listener.  If  she 
dissented,  her  eyes  and  chin  were  slightly  raised  in  mild 
protest.  Amid  the  flowers  of  genial  converse  her  face 
was  rosy  bright  and  restful,  and  oft  she  would  say,  "My 

328 


MOTHER  AND  HER  CHARMS 


weariness  has  disappeared. "  A  happy  half-hour  of  this 
tonic  was  worth  drachms  of  drugs  she  did  not  use.  Her 
anxieties  left  marks  upon  the  tissues  of  her  handsome  face. 
There  was  a  dimple  in  her  chin,  and  I  put  my  finger  on 
it  as  I  saw  the  other  babies  do,  and  she  smiled,  "You  little 
rogue,"  and  with  a  gentle  tickle  made  us  laugh,  and  then 
we  looked  for  more.  Her  smiles  made  dimples  too  upon 
her  sunny  cheeks,  which  lasted  with  the  smiles  and  many 
extra  laughs  we  got  by  ways  of  children.  It  was  by  father's 
parting  that  mother's  life  was  overfilled  with  a  heavy  trust 
and  from  both  worlds  she  held  her  hopes  and  strength. 
It  is  in  the  hopeful  spirit  of  our  lives  we  stand  expressed 
in  deeds. 

At  mother's  parting  we  were  eight  years  older  than  at 
father's  death.  She  foresaw  its  coming  and  nurtured  us 
one  by  one  and  all  together  for  the  weaning  day.  From 
her  sick-room,  which  was  at  the  left  and  front  of  the  "Red 
House"  (see  engraving),  from  her  pillowed  rocker  she 
was  able  to  look  through  the  low  windows  into  the  autumn 
garden,  where  a  single  fading  leaf  may  have  been  seen  as 
it  lightly  sailed  down  to  earth.  It  is  characteristic  of  the 
Archibalds  to  be  devoted  to  one  another,  as  is  the  feeling 
of  a  race.  She  knew  her  work  with  us  was  closing,  but  the 
affections  of  a  life  were  hard  to  sever.  One  day  she  said, 
"Look  up  and  love  each  other,"  and  that  message,  dropped 
in  the  home  in  great  tenderness,  has  many  times  mellowed 
us.  Her  lips  met  ours  with  the  instincts  and  principles  of 
love,  which  was  the  image  of  her  soul.  Her  soul  and  body 
were  suited  to  each  other.  Our  pride  was  in  her  brow  and 
quality  of  mind,  investing  common  things  with  beauty. 

She  had  fine  gifts  to  manage  children  and  draw  them 
to  her  by  a  winsomeness  of  way,  and  held  them  by  a  diversity 
of  powers  they  could  not  break.    She  intuitively  divined 

329 


HOME-MAKING  AND  ITS  PHILOSOPHY 


what  they  needed  most  and  told  them  so,  and  let  them 
wonder  how  she  knew.  She  kept  the  tissues  of  life  alive 
with  living  interests,  and  still  we  hear  her  soft,  soothing 
songs  lulling  us  to  sleep  long,  long  after  our  cradles  ceased 
to  rock.  Our  lives  are  gone  far  west  since  then,  but  the 
place  and  scene  most  precious  to  us  now  is  the  front  room 
and  low  w  ndows  through  which  she  looked  afar  in  re- 
uniting reflections,  and  where  she  died. 

The  pleasure  of  doing  things  or  anticipating  for  others 
long  had  been  her  habit,  and  her  fingers,  tapering  and 
flexible,  were  firm  in  holding  needlework  to  finish.  The 
act  of  talking  and  doing  in  pleasant  concert,  with  an  occa- 
sional glance,  was  a  wonder  to  the  children.  I  remember 
when  a  boy  looking  for  dropped  stitches,  but  failed  to  find 
them. 

She  held  her  youthful  joyousness  many  years,  but  at  the 
last  the  spirit  sobered  into  gray  with  suffering.  Up  to  the 
last  and  closing  hour  her  mind  was  clear  and  fair  in  arriving 
at  sound  conclusions.  These  she  gave  with  wisdom.  Be- 
tween her  feelings  and  her  judgment  no  opaque  partition 
clouded  her  mind  in  life  or  death.  Her  own  child-life  had 
been  planted  well  with  vigorous  principles.  Her  love  of 
nature's  rich  surroundings  and  simple  life  was  full  to  over- 
flowing. Her  joyous,  moving  spirit  would  animate  a  household 
with  genuine  pleasure  of  the  lasting  kind.  But  time  ripens 
even  these  into  more  mature  deliberation  for  their  own 
preservation.  In  her  latest  years  with  us  at  home  her  life 
was  poised  in  meditation  with  reflections  that  closed  the 
autumn  days  of  her  lingering  life.  In  these  last  days  and 
hours  her  dear  face  was  pillowed  up  with  hope  and  expected 
change.  Her  love  of  life  was  only  clouded  with  her  expiring 
breath.  She  lived  long  and  did  much  with  that  forty-four 
years.    Her  eventful  days  of  youth,  and  with  motherhood 

330 


MOTHER  AND  HER  CHARMS 


of  love  and  joy,  of  sorrow  with  suffering,  of  personal  sacrifice 
and  duty  done,  the  refining  symmetry  of  her  noble  face, 
in  its  varied  and  ever  true  expressions  of  faithful  motherhood 
in  the  home-making,  are  sacredly  preserved  in  our  loving 
memories. 

Father's  native  nobility  was  kingly.  He  was  a  well- 
built  man,  with  broad  shoulders,  above  medium  height, 
with  eyes  and  forehead  full.  His  affections  of  heart  were 
strong  and  lasting.  In  youth  he  had  a  handsome  form 
and  agreeable  countenance,  with  a  modest  manner,  and 
possessed  inward  worth  tempered  with  patience  and  gentle- 
ness. In  later  life  acute  suffering  had  marred  his  manly 
figure. 

Mother  was  married  at  sixteen.  We  hold  both  parents 
in  unreserved  honor  and  affection.  Their  exemplary  lives 
and  Christian  status  attracted  us  and  others  to  them.  They 
had  a  large  share  of  suffering  and  sorrow,  but  these  did  not 
produce  bitterness,  only  resignation.  Their  native  generosity 
grew  year  after  year  into  a  fine  perceptive  sense  that  others, 
too,  might  enjoy.  The  simplicity  of  their  ways  of  living 
unfolded  easily  into  a  natural  goodness,  which  grew  gradually 
into  a  philosophic  serenity.  Their  sunshine  and  cheer- 
fulness drew  people  around  them  for  another  hour  of  mutual 
fellowship.  Economy  did  not  run  into  worldly-mindedness. 
Their  charm  in  part  was  in  the  affectionate  words  of  kind- 
ness exchanged.  They  had  the  consciousness  of  their 
power,  and  they  used  it  as  a  personal  duty  to  point  heaven- 
ward. 

Mother's  gift  of  winning  young  people  softened  them 
into  confiding  pliancy,  and  with  fullest  faith.  Our  parents 
live  in  their  children,  and,  though  now  apart,  live  with 
them,  and  oft  we  act  as  if  for  them.  We  sometimes  feel 
again  their  kiss — their  hand,  their  voices,  the  spirit  to  obey 

33* 


HOME-MAKING  AND  ITS  PHILOSOPHY 


their  wishes — and  we  express  them  over  and  over  again, 
when  we  are  alone  or  with  each  other.  Last  week  the 
writer  met  two  sisters  in  their  homes  in  Cumberland,  in 
the  spirit  of  the  dear  old  home  of  long  ago,  with  father  and 
mother  with  us,  though  we  did  not  mention  it.  Perhaps 
mother's  nearness  is  felt  in  love  and  affection,  and  father's 
in  power  to  incite  to  noble  and  lasting  endeavor. 

One  of  the  greatest  pleasures  mankind  can  have  is  to 
record  a  grateful  tribute  to  parents,  who  made  lives  happy 
and  laid  the  foundations  of  tastes  and  loves  and  reverence. 
In  age  we  turn  ourselves  about  and  look  far  back,  to  measure 
again  and  again  the  spirit  of  the  charm  once  rising  in  the 
east  in  the  widening  glow  of  our  beginnings.  These  are 
our  real  years  of  poetry  and  song,  which  we  love  to  weave 
into  the  prose  of  life,  and  which  will  stay  our  characters 
with  peculiar  pleasure  in  the  grayness  of  our  declining 
years.  Our  limitations  of  life  are  breaking  now,  and  we  hope 
to  meet  them  in  reflected  light  on  the  other  side. 

God  is  good.    He  wears  a  fold 

Of  Heaven  and  earth  across  His  face 

Like  secrets  kept  for  love,  untold. 


332 


CHAPTER  VI 


A  FAMILY  RETROSPECT 

DO  YOU  recollect  the  dry  ravine  running  up  the 
Stuart  hill  and  parallel  with  our  family  brook  ? 
The  entrance  to  it  was  near  the  hill  of  lead  ore, 
close  to  the  brook  and  inside  the  young  woods  northwest 
of  the  Round  hill.  The  path  up  its  valley  was  but  a  narrow 
walk,  only  wide  enough  for  one,  throughout  its  whole  length 
of  two  hundred  yards  or  more.  Beyond  its  upper  end  were 
broad  table-lands,  under  a  gentle  rise,  with  nowhere  a  single 
depression  or  hint  of  a  former  waterway.  Its  banks  made 
a  sharp  declivity,  deep,  steep  and  dry.  Its  general  course 
was  a  curvature.  Its  slopes  were  uniform  and  regular,  with 
white-winged  paper  birches,  their  ribbons  floating  from 
their  anchorage.  There  were  little  conifers  of  spruce  and 
fir  twigged  to  gray  grasses  dotting  its  dry  sides  and  stretch- 
ing beyond  through  thin,  open  woods.  What  were  your 
thoughts  as  you  looked  at  it  ?  I  was  usually  alone  when 
passing  that  way,  but  there  was  no  other  spot  on  the  farm 
that  would  start  such  a  train  of  wondering  with  me.  Many 
times  did  I  sit  on  its  brow,  drawn  by  invisible  forces  out 
of  itself,  or  coming  from  me,  or  concerting  forces,  I  knew 
not  which.  The  breaking  up  of  the  great  deeps  in  the 
Bible  story  ran  glimmering  through  my  mind,  but  it  did 
not  seem  to  have  its  birth  there.  The  distance  from  chine 
to  chine  on  the  heights  was  about  seventy  feet.  I  started 
a  covey  of  partridges  from  the  east,  but  they  on  silent  wings 
floated  over  to  the  brook-thickets  for  cover.  I  never  heard 
a  noise  there;  I  never  sought  our  horses,  cattle  or  sheep 
there.  There  was  a  natural  peace  enfolding  it.  It  held 
its  fascination  firmly  all  through  the  years.  I  went  down 
and  round  its  brows.    How  came  it  there  ?    In  its  presence 

333 


HOME-MAKING  AND  ITS  PHILOSOPHY 


comes  a  feeling  of  awe,  even  at  the  present  day.  I  would 
like  to  know  its  mission  and  secret  power  on  sense  that 
still  it  holds.  I  had  no  thoughts  of  levity  there,  but  a 
stillness  of  feeling,  easily  startled  by  least  intrusion.  The 
spirit  of  search  spoke  out  in  me  in  tones  inaudible.  In  the 
rainy  season  only  the  tiny  rivulet  ran  along  the  path.  The 
feeling  and  thought  and  picture  of  its  park-like  beauty  would 
hold  the  soul  in  it.  Its  appearance  suggested  a  superior 
thought  in  creation,  and  lent  itself  to  that  point  where  man 
could  pick  up  the  last  end  and  link  it  with  the  Author. 
The  charm  of  the  spot  holds  no  less  in  these  later  years. 
It  drew  me  from  the  Annand  Hill  brow  more  than  once 
to  come  that  way.  Its  holding  power  seemed  a  lingering 
appeal  from  a  greater,  far-off  intelligence.  The  creative 
thought  makes  the  sentient  soul  beautiful,  compressing 
ideas  into  spots  for  our  contemplation.  I  do  not  think 
we  ever  spoke  together  on  the  subject  and  place.  It  had 
an  indescribable,  elusive  meaning  to  me.  The  quiet  charm 
to  think  of  it  is  an  effluence  still.  The  initial  motive  in 
preparing  this  book  is  in  the  soul-thought  kerneling  there 
and  coursing  up  and  beyond  to  a  terminal.  The  ravine  is 
a  mystery  and  the  mystery  is  with  the  Maker.  Father 
used  it  for  pasturage,  but  it  had  deeper  uses,  which  bore 
inquiries  to  the  Author  that  in  its  presence  would  not  be 
satisfied.  There  is  no  disappointment  that  it  did  not  give 
up  its  secret.  Who  has  visited  the  earth's  center  or  learned 
its  deepest  power  ? 

Out  of  the  heart  of  nature  rolled 
The  burdens  of  the  Bible  old. 
The  litanies  of  nations  came 
Like  the  volcano's  tongue  of  flame, 
Up  from  the  burning  core  below, 
The  canticle  of  love  and  woe. 

334 


A  FAMILY  RETROSPECT 


Does  earth's  highest  beauty  bear  the  impress  of  the 
Deity  when  we  go  to  Him  through  nature  ?  "  I  am  the 
rose  of  Sharon  and  the  lily  of  the  valleys."  Around  this 
scene  in  our  imagination  dwell  father  and  mother,  grand- 
father and  grandmother,  in  the  three  generations.  The 
strength  and  nearness  and  unity  of  the  scene  in  all  its  parts 
serve  to  rivet  our  souls  into  oneness  of  purpose  to  the 
Author.  In  its  setting  it  was  full  of  charming  details; 
in  its  outward  look  it  was  worthy  landscape.  As  the  artist's 
work  awakens  appreciation  for  the  author's  skill,  so  does 
the  Creator's  work  in  sentient  things  deepen  inner  sight 
into  the  essence  of  these  finer  adjustments  in  the  Perfect 
Being.  We  prove  by  soul  and  sense,  the  harmony  and 
reasonableness,  the  ability  and  willingness  of  God's  knowl- 
edge of  us.  The  highway  of  life  has  many  special  spots. 
This  spot  was  ours.  We  stand  now  under  different  skies, 
but  life's  principles  are  still  the  same  and  point  to  home 
and  name  and  race  advance.  It  is  the  case  of  the  end 
crowning  the  labor  with  their  desires  in  full  fruition,  in  love 
and  fealty  to  the  truest  and  best  of  parents.  Home  ties 
knit  into  families  the  inhabitants  of  earth  and  sky.  Early 
in  our  career  the  strength  of  uprightness  in  character  called 
into  being  a  self-respect  we  can  never  value  too  highly, 
nor  maintain  at  too  great  a  cost.  The  world  is  kind,  our 
mistakes  are  forgotten,  but  convictions  in  character  will 
live  to  gladden  families  following. 

I  wonder  if  the  little  birds  of  the  nest,  after  they  begin 
to  fly  away  and  nest  again  for  themselves,  recall  with  loving 
instinct  the  methods  used  in  the  old  home-nesting  of  baby 
days,  and  break  out  into  the  self-same  songs  of  sweetest 
melody  in  the  gladsome  spirit  of  childhood's  freedom,  over- 
flowing with  spontaneous  joy,  fed  to  the  full  by  the  parent 
birds,  preempted  from  care,  and  only  to  obey  and  sing 

335 


HOME-MAKING  AND  ITS  PHILOSOPHY 


because  the  instinct  has  made  them  so  ?  The  love  of  the 
old  nesting-place  carries  blended  strength  to  the  new.  It 
is  fortunate  for  the  world  that  men  with  a  message  will 
reach  ears  attuned  to  a  soul-thought,  and  who  will  sing  it 
on  down  the  years.  The  growing  hope  of  the  race  is  in  the 
human  lives  of  the  few  who  are  looking  outward  and  forward 
from  some  table-land  where  our  brothers  dwell.  Our 
personal  freedom  will  often  prompt  the  thing  most  uncon- 
ventional, and  inspire  regard  for  what  is  higher  and  better 
and  is  still  waiting  for  mankind.  There  is  in  store  for  men 
a  clearer,  more  luminous  light  impending,  and  each  of  us 
may  pick  away  a  pebble  or  two  of  the  debris  to  reveal  the 
treasure.  It  is  for  you  and  for  me  to  bend  more  to  the  task 
of  putting  a  keen  purpose  into  the  home  life,  when  so  many 
self-willed  and  thoughtless  people  are  acting  irrationally, 
and  make  it  more  and  more  the  anchor  and  rock-foundation 
of  our  growing  nations  and  the  strength  of  empire.  This 
century  will  measure  our  progress  or  decline.  If  we  are 
able,  with  others,  to  utter  the  home  message  of  the  great 
Soul  of  All,  the  great  disappointment  of  human  hearts 
will  fade  away.  The  home  is  the  channel  of  great  capacity 
and  power  through  which  human  life  must  seek  fuller 
expression. 

Over  the  river  and  up  on  the  shoulder  of  the  mountain, 
nearly  a  mile  by  the  winding  hay-way,  father  and  the  boys 
would  go  and  cut  the  clean  timothy  in  the  dews  of  the 
morning.  It  stood  above  the  raspberry  gardens,  where 
the  little  children  were  picking.  The  stillness  of  sunrise 
rustled  itself  into  activity  with  us  till  long  after  midday. 
In  the  afternoon  we  took  the  oxen  and  haycart,  with  the 
children,  to  the  mountain's  crest,  for  raking  and  for  loading. 
It  was  merry-making.  Towards  the  late  afternoon  the  air 
soothed  into  a  perfect  calm.    Far  below  us  in  softening 

336 


A  FAMILY  RETROSPECT 


sunlight  lay  our  enchanting  valley,  with  the  river  as  a  silver 
band  broadened  by  our  lofty  view.  The  "Red  House" 
seemed  to  lift  itself  up  into  a  clearer  view.  Here  we  estab- 
lished the  wireless  messages.  Do  you  recall  some  friends 
going  up  the  garden  walk  and  mother  coming  down  the 
stone  steps  to  welcome  them,  when  we  heard  every  word 
by  our  wireless — so  near  and  vet  so  far  distant  ?  How  we 
all  enjoyed  it;  and  while  they  lingered  there  in  cool  and 
fragrant  air  we  were  regaled  with  tones  and  voices  with 
messages  borne  to  us  with  a  wider  mission.  Forty-two 
years  have  passed  since  we  laid  mother  gentlv  in  her  last 
resting-place.  And  still  "we  are  seven,"  without  a  break. 
We  will  meet  them  "over  there,"  at  the  sunset  of  a  later 
day. 

Could  I  go  back  to  the  low  "Red  House"  to-night 

And  call  to  mother  till  she  answered  "Yes," 

And  cry,  "Vv  here's  father:    I've  something  to  tell — 

All  the  joy  and  gain,  the  grief  and  the  strain," 

Mother  would  kiss  me,  and  father  would  smile 

And  say,  "It  will  all  come  right — just  wait  awhile." 

After  this  Orion  Stuart  came  to  live  with  us  as  farmer, 
and  remained  seven  consecutive  years.  He  went  to  school 
from  our  home  for  two  winters.  He  was  a  son  of  George 
Stuart,  whose  mother  was  an  Archibald  of  Bible  Hill, 
Truro.  He  was  industrious  and  faithful,  and  is  now  with 
his  family  a  resident  and  property  owner  at  Brockton,  Mass. 


337 


CHAPTER  VII 


A  PLEA  FOR  FAMILY  WORSHIP 

A HOME  should  be  happy  to  the  end  of  life  with  true 
principles  inlaid.  Family  prayer  morning  and 
evening  gives  steadiness  to  the  habit  of  sacred 
thoughts,  dividing  the  day  into  mellowing  influences.  The 
Bible  should  be  a  light  to  our  feet  and  a  lamp  to  our  path- 
way, and  pleads  for  opportunities  to  illuminate.  Family 
unity  is  cemented  by  sitting  together  and  reading  in  turn 
a  chapter  of  Wisdom,  and  each  one  tacitly  admitting  it 
into  the  life.  Singing  softens  the  prelude  and  leavens  the 
thoughts  dropping  into  the  soul.  The  act  of  the  father 
and  mother,  asking  the  unseen  Father  for  blessings,  makes 
prayer  a  privilege  which  young  minds  learn  to  appreciate. 
Satan  moves  in  our  spiritual  natures,  but  God  gives  a  sub- 
lime direction  and  leverage  to  overthrow  his  work  in  the 
soul.  Family  worship  held  us  as  a  family  at  least  halfway 
from  destruction.  Its  silent  power  is  precious  and  its 
influence  permanent.  Parents  need  it  as  do  children  to  keep 
them  in  holy  paths.  Like  a  calm,  deep  stream,  with  such 
steadying  power,  life  will  move  along  in  a  volume  silently 
and  joyously.  Its  roots  strike  deep  into  the  human  heart 
and  its  branching  stem  stands  direct  amidst  the  tempest. 

This  fresh,  unbreathed  air  of  heaven  is  clean  refresh- 
ment. It  begets  a  softening  spell  in  our  breasts  when  evil 
tempts.  Looking  back  over  the  years,  no  agency  has  held 
our  lives  like  this.  "The  anchor  holds."  It  elevates  the 
home  happiness  that  greens  the  wintry  day  throughout  life. 
Self-wills  and  family  afflictions  are  snow  banks  of  the  storms, 
but  hallowed  love  and  good-will  melt  them  in  the  glowing 
warmth  and  sunlight  of  our  Redeemer.  It  gives  tone  and 
intensity  to  the  affections.    It  throws  a  sunshine  around 

338 


A  PLEA  FOR  FAMILY  WORSHIP 


the  hopes  and  interests  of  the  household.  Its  influence 
is  for  this  life  and  the  next,  in  one  continued  wholeness. 
Wayward  children,  men  and  women,  have  been  drawn 
back  to  praying  homes.  Mother's  prayers  at  the  bedside, 
or  father's  with  his  sons  in  private,  are  the  sequences  of 
the  family  worship.  Child  prayer  is  a  desire  for  preserving 
its  innocence,  embodied  in  a  new  and  growing  life.  Regular 
worship  prepares  the  heart  for  soul  fertility,  and  the  silt 
and  blessing  of  God  drop  into  life's  expanding  opportunities. 
All  the  circle  should  kneel  together  with  prayer  for  the 
entire  household.  The  warp  and  woof  of  child-life  need 
blessed  teachings  woven  in.  Such  teachings  inwoven  wear 
through  life. 

Family  life  is  beset  with  trials  and  temperaments  that 
may  lead  to  conflict.  The  spirit  of  Christ  is  the  super- 
human man,  calming  the  mind  and  enfolding  the  home 
with  a  quieting  power  to  restore  the  fine  harmonies  of  all 
its  parts.  The  nature  of  forgiveness  is  learned  in  its  practice, 
nor  can  resentment  live  where  God's  love  reigns.  The 
spirit  of  separation  cannot  linger  long  where  there  is  unity 
at  the  family  altar.  The  eternal  presence  of  God,  like  a 
pillar  of  cloud,  or  fire,  is  needed  by  man  from  the  beginning 
to  the  end.  The  father  needs  that  which  gently  lifts  the 
disquieting  burden  of  daily  business;  the  mother  that  which 
smooths  fret  of  toil;  and  the  children  that  which  neutralizes 
the  agency  of  evil.  When  darker  and  sadder  days  begin 
to  shadow  life  what  will  so  cheer  and  brighten  the  heart 
as  our  Heavenly  Father's  presence  ?  This  alone  can  make 
the  tears  of  the  lowliest  sorrow  become  the  seed  pearls  of 
the  bright  crown.  This  possession  is  worth  more  than 
gold,  or  property,  or  homestead,  or  scholarship,  or  all  these 
combined,  much  as  we  value  them.  The  religion  of  Jesus 
is  adapted  to  our  lives  here,  and  by  its  sweet  spirit  of  sub- 

339 


HOME-MAKING  AND  ITS  PHILOSOPHT 


mission  moulds  lives  into  manly  character.  It  meets  the 
needs  of  our  intelligence  and  the  heart's  loudest  calls.  God 
makes  a  covenant  with  families,  and  our  vital  needs  are 
guaranteed.  It  is  always  a  blessing  and  never  a  curse.  It 
will  feed  our  souls  with  manna  and  quench  our  thirsts  with 
living  water. 

The  writer  maintained  the  family  altar  in  his  home  for 
many  years,  but  business  changes  enforcing  absence,  it  was 
allowed  to  fall.  But  the  loss  to  the  home  was  irreparable. 
As  home-makers  are  nation-makers,  all  these  need  the 
family  altar  in  the  home,  where  God  will  be  pleased  to  dwell 
with  His  sanctifying  grace.  His  blessing,  like  the  dews 
of  the  morning,  rests  on  it.  It  is  the  charter  of  family 
rights,  to  protect  the  nation  and  the  home  from  the  evils 
of  divorce. 


340 


CHAPTER  VIII 
USING  ANCESTRAL  BEQUEA THM ENTS 

O!  suffering  thousands,  by  a  destructive  prejudice  misunderstood  .  .  . 
The  measure  of  Divinity  in  manhood  and  womanhood  .  .  . 
Who  lowest  stoops  to  serve  mankind  in  love  hath  unto  greatness  grown.  .  . 
Live  thou  in  instant  uplook  and  verily  thou  shalt  see  a  gracious  coun- 
tenance. 

I PROPOSE  citing  actual  occurrences,  affording  typical 
illustrations  of  conditions  and  temperaments  found  in 
a  household  known  for  many  years,  and  tracing  the 
causes  to  legitimate  results. 

The  need  for  improvement  in  the  object  sought  by  our 
home  builders  in  the  nation  was  never  more  urgent  than 
now.  The  loosening  of  historic  ideals  which  have  been 
preserved  by  civilizing  races,  with  the  Hebrew  nation  in 
the  lead,  we  cannot  disregard.  God  organized  the  human 
race  in  families.    The  history  and  the  reasons  are  very  plain. 

The  rising  tide  of  divorcements  is  sweeping  onward 
and  threatens  inundation.  The  gentle  refinement  of  the 
old  homes  is  giving  way  to  a  rude  smartness.  The  loosen- 
ing of  marriage  laws,  the  disintegrating  sentiments  out- 
spoken in  married  life,  the  ease  with  which  divorces  are 
obtained,  and  the  nature  of  the  reasons  given  for  the  dis- 
banding of  the  household,  together  with  the  armies  of 
children  taught  to  regard  legal  divorce  as  right  because  it 
is  legal,  are  alarming. 

If  the  pleas  now  put  forth  in  favor  of  divorces  are  ac- 
cepted, the  homes  of  earth  will  universally  be  rendered 
insecure  because  of  temperamental  defective  inheritance 
or  an  absence  of  pure  intentions.  This  class  are  absorbed 
in  themselves  with  present  ease  their  chief  aim,  and  are  at 
least  supreme  in  their  present  prospect. 

34i 


HOME-MAKING  AND  ITS  PHILOSOPHY 


Science  hints  it  is  in  a  tubercle — a  living  bacillus  or 
congenital  depravity  of  the  race,  and  men  must  educate 
to  self-control  and  self-sacrifice.  In  both  natures  life  is 
packed  with  warring  enemies,  and  man  must  struggle  in 
either  to  grow  and  win.  There  is  not  a  secret  in  nature, 
except  man  himself — what  he  is,  what  he  is  to  be — but  he 
will  be  able  to  discover  and  solve,  aided  by  the  Greater 
Mind  above  him. 

Family  irritations  and  differences  are  often  imaginary, 
hysterical  and  irrational.  The  wide  publicity  of  shocking 
disclosures  by  the  press  is  notorious.  The  Thaw  disgust, 
the  Gould  scandal,  and  tens  of  thousands  scarcely  less 
discreditable  instances  in  the  United  States  and  Canada 
furnish  the  masses  with  the  semblance  of  arguments  com- 
posed of  facts  and  fancies  which  many  passionate  and 
thoughtless  people  are  feeding  on,  and  these  are  engender- 
ing hasty  action  in  seeking  divorce  that  ought  to  and 
does  alarm  the  nation. 

The  institutions  of  marriage  and  the  Sabbath  are  divinely 
ordained,  and  stand  as  the  bulwarks  of  civilization  and 
the  crown  of  a  Christian  nation.  Should  not  the  thinkers 
and  leaders  of  our  changing  civilization  be  instantly  aroused 
and  display  their  forces  determinedly  to  stay  the  causes 
of  home  destruction  and  national  ruin  impending  on  this 
continent  ? 

Is  it  right  that  the  waning  or  disappointment  or  aliena- 
tion of  a  husband's  or  a  wife's  love  should  be  set  above  the 
sacredness  of  the  marriage  law  and  vow  ?  Is  not  each 
equally  responsible  for  the  maintenance  of  the  spirit  and 
letter  of  this  solemn  contract  which  is  the  written  law  of 
God? 

If  the  farmer  knows  an  insect  is  injuring  his  trees  or 
fruits  he  seeks  to  end  its  work.    In  the  tropical  seas  the 

342 


USING  ANCESTRAL  BEQU EA THMENTS 


enemies  of  man  lie  concealed  in  waters  of  their  own  color, 
ready  to  steal  the  lives  of  men  and  menace  property. 
They  have  no  higher  purpose  than  to  destroy.  In  these 
enemies  there  is  not  a  trace  of  what  we  know  as  goodness. 
Will  we  stand  inanely  by  and  see  the  family  crumble  ? 

In  the  twentieth  century,  with  industry  almost  any  one 
can  make  money,  but  the  measure  of  good  judgment  decides 
how  much  of  this  can  be  put  to  a  good  use.  The  discipline 
of  saving  becomes  a  virtue;  its  opposite,  a  vice.  Self- 
denial  is  the  mother  of  many  virtues.  Spending  by  desire 
is  childish.  Saving  for  eventual  need  is  a  source  of  happi- 
ness to  most  of  men.  The  spendthrift  almost  meets  the 
miser  in  one  of  two  extremes,  and  both  are  always  far  from 
happiness,  because  the  two  are  selfish  and  self-willed  in  the 
extreme. 

Is  there  a  safe  principle,  innate,  to  guide  a  person  through 
life  to  safety?  No!  there  is  no  safe  guide  but  the  word 
and  spirit  of  Jehovah.  Where  a  mind  has  little  inheritance 
in  sound,  embedded  principles  in  its  nature,  the  judgment 
will  readily  accept  its  prejudices  for  a  guide.  God's  stand- 
point should  be  our  standpoint  for  true  judgment,  to  know 
which  is  the  truth  that  enables  us  to  see  clearly  the  right 
thing  to  do,  and  where  prejudices  do  not  rule.  It  is  the 
genius  of  the  Gospel  to  plant  the  life  with  principles  that 
are  safe  guides,  that  enable  us  to  realize  life  is  worth  living. 

It  is  out  of  weakness  of  individuals  that  shadows  creep 
through  the  sunlight  and  make  the  darkness.  Carnal 
love  is  purely  human  and  can  easily  die,  but  true  love 
emanates  from  God,  implanted  by  His  spirit.  That  love 
can  never  die.  Our  wills  are  ours  to  love  and  live,  and  all 
may  with  His  help  work  ourselves  out  of  gloom.  The  best 
and  most  reasonable  people  are  those  with  the  greatest 
moral  inheritance. 

343 


HOME-MAKING  AND  ITS  PHILOSOPHY 


The  Anglo-Saxon  race  appreciates  the  value  of  inherit- 
ance and  holds  that  heredity  makes  for  power  as  perhaps 
no  other  race  ever  claimed  or  emphasized  it. 


344 


CHAPTER  IX 


HOME  THE  SOCIAL  UNIT 

MEN  believe  themselves  to  be  by  nature  better  adapted 
than  women  for  the  more  laborious  work,  and  more 
gifted  with  reasoning  powers  to  form  weightier 
judgments,  and  by  these,  associated,  control  the  financial 
economics  relating  to  business  and  the  expenditures  of 
home  and  nation.  Public  opinion  seems  to  be  right  in 
holding  the  husband  accountable  for  these.  The  wife 
must  distinguish  before  marriage  between  a  true  love  that 
endures  and  a  love  that  springs  from  mercenary  motives. 

'Tis  here  my  soul  shall  exercise 

Her  powers  of  thought,  and  love,  and  care; 

We  famish  now  for  deeds  of  love, 

And  change  our  gaze  from  life  to  gold. 

Young  girls  grow  into  vanity  and  self-esteem  greatly 
overwrought,  which  cultivates  an  inordinate  craving  for 
the  notice  of  others,  arising  from  caprice,  which  resembles 
a  moral  disease  or  vice  undermining  the  homes  of  the 
present  day.  Gratifying  every  wish  and  whim  of  children 
under  the  plea  of  kindness,  really  hardens  the  heart  into 
selfishness.  Early  training  in  the  nature  and  principle  of 
higher-given  love  would  develop  a  strength  of  character, 
and  set  a  limit  to  the  effects  of  purely  human  love. 

This  rising  evil  threatens  to  surpass  the  liquor  traffic 
and  all  other  evils  combined  in  its  absolutely  ruinous  effects 
on  society,  in  a  frightfully  speedy  manner.  It  is  under- 
mining the  home  foundations  so  precious  in  the  mind  of 
our  Creator.  It  will  not  be  denied  that  the  opinions  of  the 
people  have  greatly  modified  the  interpretation  of  the 
Bible  standards,  and  this  loosening  tendency  is  growing. 

345 


HOME-MAKING  AND  ITS  PHILOSOPHY 


A  husband  who  would  willingly  forsake  a  wife,  and  a 
wife  who  will  obstinately  break  up  a  home,  are  both  setting 
themselves  above  the  law  of  God  and  His  revealed  standard 
of  what  is  right.  Mind  is  a  witness  to  the  unseen  reality 
of  realities  which  this  life  stands  for.  Self-assertion  has 
been  the  cause  of  all  evil — once  in  Heaven,  now  on 
earth. 

The  beauty  in  this  life  is  the  rainbow  of  promise  to 
reach  out  to.  No  Christian  fact  can  become  a  conscious 
reality  in  the  life  until  it  sifts  its  silt  through  the  heart.  No 
new-born  love  can  speak  of  itself  until  it  arrives.  The  new 
birth  and  soul's  awakening  is  its  experience.  Its  theory  is 
open  to  free  discussion:  its  proof — a  personal  development. 

There  is  a  disposition  to  call  very  grievous  sins  by  some 
excusing  name.  A  lady  who  had  become  a  baroness  through 
marriage  is  seeking  a  divorce.  She  blames  it  all  on  her 
temperament.  He  blames  it  on  her  temper.  She  says, 
"I  have  an  artistic  temperament,  I  have  a  right  to  do  as  I 
please."  What  about  the  moral  law  and  Christ's  teach- 
ing ?  For  example,  his  affinity,  real  or  imaginary,  led  a 
married  man  to  run  away  with  another  woman.  The 
facts  are:  Moral  principles  do  not  exist  there,  and  this  is 
a  scandal  and  a  shame,  and  sensible  people  should  say  so. 
Wilful  blindness  blocks  the  natural  progress  when  it  develops 
prejudice.  Popularity  in  society  will  not  weigh  an  ounce 
or  scale  a  moment  with  the  right.  The  drunkard  yields  to 
social  pleasures  and  wrecks  his  life  and  happiness. 

God  is  not  lenient  to  the  sin  of  home-breaking,  but  will 
demand  an  accounting  of  one  who  would  wilfully  set  back 
the  hand  of  goodness  and  destroy  the  mainspring  by  break- 
age or  hollow  excuses  for  violation  of  the  marriage  law. 
If  the  roots  of  our  nature  are  naturally  cruel  and  of  course 
they  are  self-willed,  and  they  are  not  reached  by  nobler  refin- 

346 


HOME  THE  SOCIAL  UNIT 


ing  influences  with  culture,  the  training  and  accomplish- 
ments of  the  schools  prove  a  failure.  The  forceful  feeling 
hope  begets  in  the  principle  of  right  will  banish  resentment 
held  by  a  moody  temperament.  The  culture  of  the  soul 
rectifies  the  character,  that  steadily  crystalizes  into  higher 
principle  in  the  making,  as  sweet  maple  life  and  sap  re- 
duced to  sugar  crystal  grains.  Life  without  these  principles 
inherited,  or  acquired  and  cultured,  will  be  faithless  with- 
out the  principle  of  crystal  preservation.  As  the  keying 
point  and  measuring  value  of  obedience  in  a  child  is  the 
fine  growing  sense  of  conscious  duty  to  obey  from  the  impulse 
of  love,  so  it  is  with  men  and  women. 

The  wife  no  longer  contributes  to  the  family  income  by 
making  cloth  or  even  clothes.  With  the  increased  standard 
of  elaborate  dressing  she  has  become  its  chief  burden. 
This  expense  and  style  of  living  are  ruinous  to  the  serenity 
of  home,  and  are  charged  with  creating  discord  there  in 
place  of  harmony 

The  garden  of  nature  is  the  grandest  school  or  college 
ever  instituted.  Twice  a  year  there  is  a  great  wave  of  birds 
surging  both  ways,  making  bird  tides  of  interest  with  the 
regularity  of  the  pendulum;  and  if  our  lives  were  stayed  as 
naturally  as  theirs  it  would  be  of  more  value  to  us  than  mil- 
lions of  artificialities.  The  hound  in  pursuit  does  not 
value  his  own  life  particularly.  He  is  looking  for  the  spirit 
of  the  chase  and  the  winning  of  the  race  for  his  master.  It 
is  the  seizure  of  a  power  not  our  own  that  makes  us  happy 
here.  Pride  and  show  are  not  on  the  same  plane  as  faith 
and  hope,  but  they  are  more  natural  to  shallow  human 
natures,  and  keep  them  shallow.  Let  us  catch  the  deepest, 
richest  notes  of  our  times,  and  set  them  to  music  that  will 
reach  the  heart  and  mind,  and  restore  the  real  to  its  own. 
We  must  have  deep  and  beautiful  visions  of  duty  and 

347 


HOME-MAKING  AND  ITS  PHILOSOPHY 


obligation  to  preserve  our  sanity,  our  higher  manhood,  and 
our  enduring  happiness. 

A  loving  soul  may  meet  with  neglect,  unkindness,  even 
distrust  or  injustice;  still,  as  long  as  there  is  the  active 
principle  of  love  the  heart  will  suffer  and  find  excuse  after 
excuse  for  its  object,  but  will  not  admit  its  love  misplaced. 

There  is  a  crying  need  for  higher  ideals  of  the  marriage 
relation  than  simply  using  it  as  a  means  of  getting  a  home, 
or  purchasing  a  husband  for  bread,  social  position  and 
expected  comfort,  or  a  man  picking  a  handsome  woman  for 
show,  or  lower  reasons  still.  The  salvation  of  the  family 
upon  a  spiritual  and  moral  social  and  physical  training 
of  the  young  transcends  all  else.  A  husband  or  a  wife 
who  will  deliberately  in  pure  self-will  thwart  the  continu- 
ance and  upbuilding  of  the  home  which  has  received  half 
a  lifetime  of  strong  effort  in  its  making  merits  a  punish- 
ment not  yet  provided  for.  It  is  in  the  madness  of  the 
human  spirit  that  rules  the  only  life  it  knows. 

O  love  of  God!    How  deep  and  great! 
Far  deeper  than  man's  deepest  hate — 
Self-fed,  self-kindled,  like  the  light 
Changeless,  eternal,  infinite. 

A  husband  or  wife  may  know  latitude  and  longitude 
yet  not  possess  the  sense  of  gratitude.  There  is  an  in- 
gratitude of  the  heart  that  loses  its  sense  of  obligations.  In 
this  spirit  the  virtues  fade  into  hardness  and  a  feeling  of 
injustice.  Yet  there  may  be  hope.  We  need  to  begin  a 
fresh  study  of  soul-life,  linked  in  revelation  with  the  beauty 
of  God's  lovely  handwriting  in  nature.  Home-makers 
will  not  allow  their  thoughts  to  dwell  on  the  errors,  mis- 
takes or  incapabilities,  except  with  the  sincere  intention 
of  trying   to   set   them  right.    If  we   entertain  unkind 

348 


HOME  THE  SOCIAL  UNIT 


thoughts  the  mind  grows  irritable  and  resentful,  with  a 
temper  to  disparage  perhaps  that  which  we  are  unable  to 
appreciate. 


349 


CHAPTER  X 


THE  SORROWING  HOME 

ONCE  love,  either  human  love  or  higher  love,  reigned 
there,  and  trust  was  mutual.  As  men  and  women 
we  owe  a  duty  to  God  and  to  man  to  aid  in  the  im- 
planting of  nobler  principles  and  the  elevation  of  our  race. 
The  character  and  temperaments  of  the  heads  of  this  home 
are  faithfully  and  somewhat  minutely  described.  In  young 
manhood  the  husband  had  been  trained  by  an  inherited 
and  ideal  sense  of  honor,  with  purpose,  ambition  and  untir- 
ing persistency  for  industry.  His  early  teachings  led  to 
veneration  for  what  was  noble,  and  were  a  factor  in  giving 
him  ideals.  He  was  not  a  money-maker,  but  had  average 
earning  abilities,  and  found  the  usual  pleasure  among 
men  of  studying  methods  of  business.  His  temperament 
was  warm  and  cordial  towards  friends  and  people  generally. 
He  was  clean  in  life  and  language,  and  fond  of  its  enjoy- 
ments, which  he  shared  with  average  relish.  His  word 
was  as  good  as  his  bond.  He  held  the  confidence,  respect 
and  esteem  of  people.  He  built  a  neat  city  home  from 
his  earnings,  and  then  he  thought  he  would  marry. 

Man  judges  woman  by  the  best  in  himself,  and  adds 
as  much  more  as  his  imagination  has  moved  his  thoughts. 
The  secret  of  beauty  and  power  in  the  use  of  this  faculty 
lies  in  the  ability  to  conceive  of  things  which  do  not  exist. 
The  man  who  is  able  through  his  growing  ideals  to  make 
these  conceptions  exist  has  a  charm  about  him  that  leads 
into  the  realm  of  the  beautiful  quite  unknown  before. 
Our  best  men  are  able  to  carry  the  ideally  good  into  the 
sphere  of  fact. 

He  took  his  intended  bride  to  see  the  place.  Some  of 
his  older  friends  advised  him  not  to  marry  this  young  lady 

35° 


THE  SO RR  WING  HOME 


because  she  was  too  devoted  to  fashionable  society.  She 
had  many  charming  qualities.  Her  home  was  one  of  slender, 
modest  comfort,  but  she  had  ambitiously  sought  an  educa- 
tion for  the  purpose  of  securing  accomplishments  and  the 
making  of  fashionable  friends.  She  had  acquired  pleasing 
manners,  and  dressed  with  stylish  neatness  and  was  attrac- 
tive. She  engaged  in  teaching  school  and  the  children 
were  fond  of  her.  After  teaching  five  years  and  boarding 
at  her  home,  all  her  earnings  went  to  dressing.  She  was 
amiable  and  kind  in  company,  and  made  a  studied  art  to 
please.  She  loved  display  and  was  fond  of  parties  and 
social  pleasures,  where  she  shone.  The  house  was  modestly 
furnished  and  they  were  married.  He  gave  his  love  and 
she  pledged  hers.  The  sincerity  of  his  friends  about  his 
home  was  lasting,  and  when  mistakes  were  made  with  any 
he  was  the  first  to  tender  an  apology.  He  loved  his  wife 
and  children  with  devotion.  All  the  week  he  was  away 
from  home  on  business,  but  at  its  close  went  back  to  enjoy 
being  with  his  family.  His  growth  in  Christian  character 
was  only  fair  or  meager,  for  business  cares  retarded  it 
and  he  grew  worldly.  His  character  was  firm  where  principle 
was  involved. 

The  wife  worked  and  planned  for  parties  or  receptions. 
Sometimes  he  was  present,  but  more  often  not.  Social 
functions  kept  increasing,  and  invitations  were  given  at 
her  will  and  pleasure.  About  this  time  she  prevailed  upon 
him  to  enlarge  the  house.  He  knew  they  could  not  afford 
it,  because  the  cost  of  living  with  a  growing  family  used 
up  his  income,  but  with  her  persuasion  and  his  desire  to 
please,  it  was  built;  and  then  it  needed  furnishings.  Many 
things  were  bought  from  stores  and  charged,  as  was  the 
custom  in  those  days  more  than  now.  Her  husband  wished 
to  have  the  family  together  in  the  sitting-room  in  the  even- 

351 


HOME-MAKING  AND  ITS  PHILOSOPHY 


ings,  and  pursue  their  studies  there,  but  her  thought  was  that 
they  were  accustomed  to  study  in  their  sleeping-rooms  and 
she  did  not  wish  to  change.  The  sweet  fellowship  of  family 
unity  is  formed  in  the  daily  sitting-room,  in  converse,  read- 
ing or  study,  like  trees  grouped  in  groves,  or  many  flowers 
in  a  garden-border  along  a  river's  bank.  From  centers 
such  as  these  there  grow  and  radiate  mutual  understandings 
and  adaptation  to  correct  and  to  encourage  and  strengthen 
home-making.  There  is  ever  a  place  for  fair  and  just 
impressions  to  maintain  our  virtue  if  we  keep  the  family 
in  touch  with  each  other.  The  home  is  a  Christian  school 
with  example-teaching,  and  every  member  should  be  in  that 
school.  This  corrects  both  isolation  and  self-centering 
and  keeps  us  one  in  thoughts  and  words  and  deeds.  It 
is  ennobling  to  a  home  to  set  and  hold  leading  heroes  and 
heroines  in  our  hearts  and  minds.  It  stays  them  into  in- 
termediary touch  with  Divinity.  There  are  many  children 
with  constitutional  defects  who  would  die  in  their  steps 
before  admitting  an  error  or  retracing  their  tracks.  Here 
the  power  of  reason  and  influence  of  right  should  be  ex- 
alted. The  green  meadows  of  family  life  will  have  sweep- 
ing shadows  moving  across  the  wills  of  self-love.  We  like 
a  few  friends  to  love  us  for  what  we  are  and  even  let  us 
see  our  vagrant  steps  in  the  kindly  light  of  hope,  and  will 
always  be  thankful  to  the  past  for  sweet  memories  at  which 
we  smile  as  goodness  flows  around  our  incompleteness. 

The  bills  came  in  much  too  fast  for  him  to  pay,  and  he 
fretted  over  them.  These  embarrassments  irritated  him. 
Nothing  disheartens  a  man  so  quickly  as  the  failure  of 
those  to  sympathize  and  help  in  whom  he  has  confided. 
In  a  despairing  manner  he  told  her  that  the  expenditures 
must  be  curtailed  and  that  in  future  only  the  veriest  neces- 
sities must  be  bought,  and  these  he  would  buy  at  lower 

352 


THE  SORROWING  HOME 


prices,  asking  her  to  make  memoranda  of  the  household 
wants.  But  she  said  she  had  always  bought  the  goods 
and  had  bought  them  as  low  as  they  could  be,  and  he  must 
earn  more  money.  They  must  live  as  others  lived,  and 
they  were  doing  with  as  little  as  was  possible  to  do.  The 
family  must  be  clothed  to  uphold  their  standing.  His 
contention  was  that  they  never  should  have  begun  to  live 
so  fast,  that  true  home  life  can  best  be  lived  in  quiet  ways; 
that  lives  of  children  lived  in  show  are  superficial  and  weak 
in  moral  perceptions,  and  that  the  life  they  were  living 
was  destructive  of  the  happiness  of  home.  The  children 
were  entitled  to  a  happy  home,  she  thought,  and  they 
would  be  discontented  if  they  did  not  get  what  others  had. 
They  could  not  possibly  do  with  less.  The  family  talk 
grew  away  from  true  home  interests  into  daily  happenings 
and  trivialities.  She  followed  younger  life  and  made  her 
parties  for  them,  and  silently  grew  estranged.  The  chil- 
dren wished  to  take  their  meals  when  it  suited  them. 

Nature  put  the  birds  into  a  rounded  nest  to  grow,  and 
talk,  and  sing  together.  The  husband's  great  disappoint- 
ment and  fevered  love  looked  in  vain  for  hope  from  his 
wife.  Self-love  and  self-seeking  reverse  the  course  of  true 
love. 

This  type  of  woman  is  one  perhaps  of  millions  who 
endanger  the  institution  of  home  and  wreck  new  families 
in  the  making;  yet  these  people  are  usually  popular  and 
lead  society.  But  the  basis  of  the  popularity  rests  on 
assuming  show  with  glamor.  We  are  getting  tired  of  this 
uneasy  effort  to  be  satisfied  with  unrealities.  When  pure 
affection  in  the  home  is  valued  less  than  the  smiles  and 
studied  deference  from  those  outside,  peril  is  creeping  into 
the  home.  The  spirit  of  the  vanities  suavely  warps  amiable 
people  into  troubles,  followed  by  discontent.    The  secret 

353 


HOME-MAKING  AND  ITS  PHILOSOPHY 


of  sure  home-making  is  letting  in  the  Infinite.  I  said  to 
him:  "James,  I  am  sorry  for  you.  Let  your  burdens  fall 
upon  Jesus,  the  Son  of  Man,  who  is  the  Son  of  God." 
"But,"  said  he,  "can  Jesus,  who  never  had  this  experience, 
sympathize  with  me  ?"  "Yes,  He  has  observed  and  known 
it,  as  He  knows  all  things  human  and  divine."  He  said 
again,  "I  will  cast  on  Him  the  whole  insufferable  burden, 
for  I  cannot  bear  it  longer." 

I  remember  a  conversation  in  their  home  which  dis- 
closed a  dangerous  principle.  A  young  man  in  a  half- 
elopement  way  had  made  an  undesirable  marriage,  from 
this  family's  point  of  view  as  well  as  from  many  others. 
This  woman  openly  suggested,  after  the  glamor  wore  off, 
that  he  be  advised  to  go  abroad  and  leave  his  bride  forever. 

To  meet  the  merchants'  bills  this  man  gave  notes  to 
tide  them  over.  Under  extreme  tension  he  said,  "No 
more  goods  shall  be  bought  until  they  are  paid  for,"  and 
he  wrote  his  merchants  not  to  give  his  family  goods  without 
his  order.  This  was  a  serious  move,  and  unexpected, 
and  is  recorded  here  to  show  the  consequences  of  following 
wrong  ideals.  This  set  the  wife  in  unyielding  opposition 
to  her  husband.  The  children  naturally  sided  with  their 
mother  and  this  she  encouraged.  He  pleaded  in  his  letters 
for  reconciliation  for  the  children's  sake. 

Living  much  in  the  attention  of  others  will  warp  one 
from  a  rational  balance.  After  the  foregoing  narration 
the  writer  asks:  Should  these  people  have  been  united  in 
marriage  ?  How  are  like  people  to  be  trained  to  make  a 
happy  home  ?  Must  the  State  that  regulates  divorce  also 
educate  ?  Or  does  home-making  depend  upon  the  motives 
that  lead  to  marriage  ? 

This  man  was  crushed  to  earth  solely  by  the  attitude 
of  his  wife.    His  ordinary  business  abilities  forsook  him,  as 

354 


THE  SORROWING  HOME 


raindrops  vanish  in  the  sunlight.  Their  home  was  sold  for  a 
fraction  of  its  value,  and  the  family  thrown  upon  their  per- 
sonal resources,  leaving  a  number  of  debts  unpaid.  She 
to  whom  he  once  had  pledged  his  love  and  life  for  life, 
had  taken  an  opposing  attitude  and  could  not  be  persuaded 
to  change  from  it,  and  the  home  was  wrecked  in  conse- 
quence. Near  friends  pleaded  with  them  both  but  they 
were  treated  with  high  disdain.  Children  suffer  more  from 
such  a  family  state  of  separation,  or  divorce,  in  their  moral 
tone  than  from  a  combination  of  almost  all  other  evils. 
It  sets  a  family  back  a  century,  if  not  further.  The  baneful 
effects  of  mercenary  love  burst  out  at  the  last.  Spurgeon 
says:  "Buy  not  silk  while  you  owe  for  milk."  There  is 
nothing,  absolutely  nothing,  that  can  take  the  place  of 
the  spirit  and  the  life  of  the  Man  of  Galilee  in  home-making. 
No  amusements,  luxuries,  society,  or  popularity  only,  will 
endure.  No  one  can  adequately  state  the  rights  and  duties 
springing  out  of  the  relationship  of  husband  and  wife  and 
children.  Benevolence  is  a  vital  necessity  here.  There 
are  a  myriad  of  influences  sacred  to  this  relationship.  In- 
herent and  instinctive  principle  embedded  often  holds. 
How  gaily  the  robins  by  instinct  sing  above  the  levelling 
influence  of  morals  they  do  not  know. 

In  the  moment  of  her  husband's  deepest  humiliation 
what  should  the  wife  have  done  ?  Is  there  a  safe  principle 
to  point  the  course  ?  Should  not  a  curriculum  of  studies 
pursued  in  our  schools  of  learning  lead  youth  along  a  cable 
line  of  life's  principles  to  this  higher  love  that  leads  to  the 
making  of  enduring  homes  ?  The  only  true  and  rational 
answer  to,  What  should  the  wife  have  done  ?  was  to  have 
flung  herself  into  the  husband's  arms;  whether  he  was  in  the 
right  or  in  the  wrong,  when  undoubtedly  he  was  doing  his 
best.    When  he  was  almost  crushed  with  financial  troubles 

355 


HOME-MAKING  AND  ITS  PHILOSOPHY 


she  helped  to  make,  she  should  have  buoyed  him  up  on 
wings  of  hope  and  encouragement,  which  is  woman's  truest 
mission.  Her  behavior  paralyzed  his  energies.  She  af- 
fected to  believe,  against  the  advice  of  friends,  that  she  would 
continue  to  hold  a  wife's  "thirds"  interest  in  the  mortgaged 
property  after  it  was  sold.  There  never  was  a  question 
of  morals  between  them.  It  was  simply  a  question  of 
temperaments  and  tastes.  Our  peculiar  ambitions  root 
very  deep  in  human  nature  and  easily  cross  over  the  lines 
of  soul-wisdom.  Some  possess  ambitions  moving  in  un- 
curbed strength  away  and  they  bring  great  sorrow  to  others 
and  even  ruin  to  themselves,  even  though  they  be  seemingly 
unconscious  of  the  danger  of  their  doing  and  impending 
afflictions.  The  wisdom  arising  from  the  soul's  luminous 
sphere  will  illumine  our  wills  and  our  pathway.  We  first 
see  it  in  ourselves,  then  we  are  able  to  observe  it  in  others. 
Even  the  mother  looking  into  the  face  of  her  child,  that 
smiles  back  into  hers,  has  never  beheld  the  spirit  of  her 
child  that  causes  the  smile,  in  the  garden  of  love.  The 
brotherhood  of  man  has  not  yet  gone  as  deep  into  life's 
forces.  The  personal  ambitions  in  the  home  must  rotate 
round  and  round  and  center  in  the  supreme  good  of  each 
one  of  the  family,  if  the  family  is  to  be  happy  and  enduring. 
The  homes  of  the  future  begin  now  with  the  happy  children 
in  the  present  homes,  and  there  is  a  higher  happiness  in 
store  for  them  in  faithful  obedience  and  reverent  honoring 
of  parents.  These  children  at  marriage  or  later  will  not 
have  a  suspicion  of  the  thought  that  their  married  life  can 
end  in  separation.  Pure  lives  in  youth  must  mean  greater 
purity  in  age. 

In  this  life  one  of  the  useful  values  of  conversion  of  the 
spirit  of  a  man  is  the  desire  implanted  then,  and  saner  view 
to  lift  up  others  for  the  common  good.    Human  pride 

356 


THE  SORROWING  HOME 


leads  to  separation  from  a  part  of  humanity.  The  test 
of  change  is  in  the  life  purpose,  creating  beauty  and  for- 
bearance. This  change  rescues  the  mind  from  fictions 
and  supplies  contact  with  what  is  real.  Deceit  and  vani- 
ties are  delusions  which  fade  into  realities.  The  power 
of  any  truth  is  best  expressed  in  our  personality,  its 
native  home  for  full  expression.  A  soul-life  divided  by 
wrestlings  is  unhappy.  Its  strength  exists  in  united  forces, 
which  grip  the  best  of  what  is  real.  The  higher  aims  of 
life  seek  realities  alone.  I  suppose  God  intended  the 
budding  of  the  best  life  within  us  to  flower  and  save  us 
from  our  human  wills.  Spirit  life,  so  elusive,  is  hard  to 
understand  or  explain,  but  we  feel  it,  and  this  conversion 
transforms  our  lives.  It  touches  our  emotions  and  desires 
into  saner  feelings  and  rational  thinking,  which  we  may 
prove  every  day.  Whatever  promotes  true  home  life  for 
the  benefit  of  our  children,  should  be  encouraged;  whatever 
hinders,  should  be  condemned.  Our  friends  have  said 
they  realized  their  mistake  in  contracting  a  marriage  where 
inheritance,  training  and  tastes  were  essentially  different. 
Their  greatest  sin  and  accountability  to  which  they  are 
held  lies  in  their  want  of  proper  respect  for  the  marriage 
oath  and  vow.  The  obdurate  setting  of  human  powers 
and  habits  of  thought,  and  inflexible  spirit  of  unwillingness 
to  forgive,  completed  the  ruin  of  their  home.  It  is  the 
utter  hopelessness  of  the  return  to  sanity  and  reason  that 
makes  this  history  so  painfully  deplorable.  Had  their  love 
remained  perennial  his  mental  powers  and  business  ability 
would  easily  have  conquered  every  difficulty.  In  the  lives 
of  men  there  is  an  inspiration  from  without  to  touch  the 
source  of  inward  strength  and  make  them  conquerors.  The 
preservation  of  family  life  must  provide  against  dissolution 
with  the  wisdom  of  mutual  resolution.    There  is  a  deeper, 

357 


HOME-MAKING  AND  ITS  PHILOSOPHY 


inner  meaning  coming  from  ancestral  bequeathments  that 
fashions  our  congeniality.  Parents  should  awake  to  its 
importance — lineal  societies  should  instruct  and  philanthro- 
pists arouse  national  interest.  The  work  of  race  societies 
will  unfold  these  scarcely  mooted  themes  in  their  discus- 
sions where  the  youth  of  both  sexes  will  share  in  its  public 
interest.  In  cities  probably  this  may  best  be  done  in 
clans,  and  in  rural  districts  by  a  community  of  names  meet- 
ing together.  Provinces  or  States  may  be  grouped  in  con- 
vention once  a  year  and  outline  prospective  work. 

"Surely  there  is  a  mine  for  silver  and  a  place  for  gold 
which  they  refine." 


358 

■ 


CHAPTER  XI 


SUPERNAL  LOVE  NEVER  DIES 

WOMAN  may  lack  education  but  if  her  instincts 
are  those  of  a  lady  she  does  not  desire  to  be  dash- 
ing. She  is  modest,  gentle,  generous  and  true, 
and  her  temper  under  control.  She  feels  she  is  one  person 
among  many  worthy  of  attention.  As  a  home-maker  she 
permits  no  jar  to  wreck  its  peace.  Gossip,  slang-words 
and  dressy  display  she  does  not  show.  Her  self-control 
begins  in  early  life.  Delicacy  of  taste  proceeds  from  an 
innate  sense  of  the  beautiful.  Her  moral  love  comes  down 
from  Heaven.  As  a  wife  she  never  ceases  being  a  true 
helpmate,  and  she  prudently  and  discreetly  guides  the 
affairs  of  her  household.  She  looks  for  a  beacon  light 
in  divine  assistance  to  qualify  life.  All  human  kind  are 
hers  to  help  onward.  Her  pleasures  are  as  sweet  and  pure 
as  her  mother's.  She  uses  mental  and  material  gifts  to 
uplift  the  throne  of  home.  Her  title,  a  loving  mother; 
her  seat  in  the  home,  one  of  honor;  her  relationship,  a  faith- 
ful wife.  She  loves  life  in  the  beauty  and  soul  of  reflection. 
These  qualities  are  the  special  outgrowth  of  the  teachings 
of  Jesus.    Love  is  the  fulfilling  of  the  moral  law. 

Let  me  not  to  the  marriage  of  true  minds 

Admit  impediments.    Love  is  not  love 

Which  alters  when  it  alteration  finds, 

Or  bends  with  the  remover  to  remove  • 

O,  no!  it  is  an  ever-fixed  mark, 

That  looks  on  tempests  and  is  never  shaken; 

It  is  the  star  to  every  wandering  bark, 

Whose  worth's  unknown,  although  his  height  be  taken. 

Love's  not  Time's  fool,  though  rosy  lips  and  cheeks 

Within  his  bending  sickle's  compass  come; 

Love  alters  not  with  his  brief  hours  and  weeks, 


HOME-MAKING  AND  ITS  PHILOSOPHY 


But  bears  it  out  even  to  the  edge  of  doom. 
If  this  be  error  and  upon  me  proved, 
I  never  writ,  nor  no  man  ever  loved. 

— Shakespeare. 

Four  Opinions  of  Home-making 

The  following  paragraphs  from  the  Boston  Post  aptly 
illustrate  the  principles  of  four  of  the  first  ladies  of  Boston. 
In  the  chain  of  interviews  with  the  prospective  lady  mayor- 
esses there  is  conveyed  to  the  Post's  representative  the  spirit 
of  woman's  noblest  mission.  As  the  homes  are,  so  will 
be  the  nation. 

"In  the  midst  of  one  of  the  most  strenuous  campaigns 
that  Boston  has  ever  known  there  are  four  women,  wives 
of  the  candidates,  who  are  watching  with  untiring  interest 
the  game  of  politics. 

"It  was  with  great  expectation  that  I  started  out  to 
visit  the  wives  of  the  candidates  in  order  that  I  might  find 
out  just  what  part  they  were  taking  in  their  husbands' 
political  career.  I  saw  them  all,  and  the  visits  were  not 
unpleasant,  I  can  assure  you.  They  were  all  anxious  to 
see  their  husbands  elected. 

"I  went  to  see  Mrs.  John  F.  Fitzgerald  at  her  home  in 
Dorchester.  With  great  pride  she  told  me  of  her  husband's 
administration,  denying  emphatically  that  he  was  a  grafter 
and  many  of  the  other  things  he  has  been  called.  'I  have 
perfect  faith  in  my  husband,'  she  said.  'I  am,  of  course, 
interested  in  his  campaign  because  he  is  interested,  and  I 
think  that  any  wife  should  feel  interested  in  what  her  hus- 
band is  undertaking.  His  ambition  has  been  politics,  and 
as  long  as  it  continues  to  be  his  ambition  I  am  going  to  make 
it  mine. 

"  'I  am  not  what  one  would  call  a  suffragette,  for  I  have 
no  interests  other  than  my  home  and  family.    I  encourage 

360 


SUPERNAL  LOVE  NEVER  DIES 


him  in  every  way  I  can  by  being  of  assistance  to  him  when 
he  is  home.  As  for  going  around  with  him  when  he  is 
stumping  I  don't  think  that  does  the  man  any  good,  for 
I  think  that  a  woman  is  in  his  way.  This  is  the  way  I 
have  looked  at  it,  and  I  think  my  husband  does  the  same. 
I  think  that  a  woman  can  help  a  man  by  staying  in  the 
home  and  making  things  as  attractive  as  possible,  which 
is  far  better  than  by  going  around  to  places  that  are  not 
meant  for  her/  said  Mrs.  Fitzgerald. 

"It  was  very  evident  that  everything  was  done  for  Mr. 
Fitzgerald  when  he  was  at  home,  to  lighten  the  burden  of 
the  campaign,  for  while  I  was  there  I  heard  the  voice  of 
the  ex-Mayor  in  the  other  room  calling  for  assistance. 
Then  I  heard  the  pattering  of  many  feet  up  stairs  and  down 
stairs.  After  a  while  the  sound  came  from  an  adjoining 
room.  Then  came  the  commanding  voice,  'Where  are 
my  gloves  :'  Again  there  was  a  survey.  At  last  the 
outer  door  opened  and  closed,  and  through  the  front  window 
I  saw  the  retreating  figure  of  the  little  warrior  on  his  way 
to  the  bloodless  battlefield. 

"Within  ten  minutes'  walk  of  Mrs.  Fitzgerald's  is  the 
home  of  Mayor  Hibbard.  As  a  matter  of  fact  they  might 
be  called  neighbors. 

Mrs.  Hibbard's  Hopes 

"In  a  very  charming  way  Mrs.  Hibbard  told  of  her 
great  hopes,  declaring  over  and  over  again  that  she  felt 
sure  her  husband  was  going  to  win  although  he  did  not 
have  the  great  desired  amount  of  money.  'I  have  done 
everything  to  keep  up  the  courage  of  my  husband  and 
must  say  that  there  is  no  better  way  of  making  a  man  win 
than  by  giving  him  sympathy. 

"'I  think  that  if  any  man  is  able  to  win  it  is  Mr.  Hibbard, 

361 


HOME-MAKING  AND  ITS  PHILOSOPHY 


not  because  he  is  my  husband,  but  because  he  has  given 
a  clean  administration.  The  Finance  Commission  report 
of  his  administration  speaks  well  of  him,  saying  that  he  has 
given  a  clean,  wholesome  administration,  but,  nevertheless, 
they  do  not  say  that  he  should  run  again.  I  think  this  is 
really  a  bad  condition  of  affairs  for  it  shows  that  the  men 
that  give  good  administrations  are  not  wanted.' 

"Just  then  the  son  of  the  family  entered  the  room, 
namely  Bement,  the  pride  of  the  house.  'My  father  is 
bound  to  win,'  was  the  exclamation  that  brought  me  into 
quick  attention.  'He  is  the  only  man  able  to  give  a  clean 
administration.  His  administration  is  the  cleanest  on 
record,'  kept  reaching  my  ears  before  I  had  a  chance  to 
really  comprehend  what  he  was  saying.  He  seemed  to  be 
bubbling  over  with  pride  and  indignation  for  his  father. 
'If  my  father  does  not  win  it  will  be  simply  because  he  has 
not  got  the  money.' 

"  'In  my  husband's  campaign  I  have  been  interested 
ever  since  he  started  in  politics.  I  am  always  up  at  night 
waiting  for  him  on  his  arrival  and  regardless  of  the  hour 
that  he  may  leave  in  the  morning  I  am  always  at  the  door 
to  see  him  off.  I  think  this  has  a  great  deal  to  do  with  a 
man's  success  for  there  is  nothing  which  will  be  the  incentive 
to  make  a  man  feel  like  working  like  a  happy  home  and  a 
loving  wife.  In  this  small,  but  effective  way,  I  have  done 
everything  to  make  my  husband's  work  light  and  success- 
ful,' said  Mrs.  Hibbard. 

"I  next  visited  the  wife  of  the  other  candidate  for  Mayor, 
Mrs.  Nathaniel  H.  Taylor. 

"'I  know  hardly  anything  about  politics,  but  I  do  know 
that  the  woman  can  do  a  great  deal  toward  helping  her 
husband  in  any  career  he  may  undertake.  Making  the 
home  attractive  and  pleasant  is  the  only  way  in  which  I 

362 


SUPERNAL  LOVE  NEVER  DIES 


can  help  my  husband  in  his  campaign.  Of  course  my 
husband  likes  politics,  so  that  I  just  do  everything  I  can 
to  help  him,  but  really  I  know  nothing  about  the  affair. 
All  I  can  say  is  that  he  is  running  for  Mayor,  which  makes 
him  do  a  lot  of  stumping.  I  do  all  I  can  to  make  myself 
useful  to  him,  for  I  think  that  every  wife's  duty  is  to  do  that. 

Does  Not  Want  to  Be  Disappointed 

" 6  Many  seem  to  think  that  he  will  win  in  this  campaign, 
but  I  don't  know.  I  hate  to  have  hopes  and  then  not  have 
them  fulfilled.  I  shall  be  glad  when  it  is  all  over  with,  for 
you  can  imagine  what  a  strain  it  is  on  me.  My  home  life 
has  been  very  quiet,  so  you  must  realize  what  this  all  means. 
I  hope  he  wins  because  he  wishes  to  and  anything  he  wishes 
interests  me.' 

"Mrs.  Storrow,  although  just  recovering  from  a  sick- 
ness of  typhoid  fever,  has  been  watching  her  husband  from 
the  minute  he  started  in  politics,  giving  him  every  word  of 
encouragement  that  she  could  think  of. 

"At  her  beautiful  home  on  Beacon  Street  she  talked 
of  her  husband's  chance  of  being  Mayor,  and  becomingly 
laughed  when  I  referred  to  him  as  the  future  Mayor  of  Boston. 

"  'In  every  way  I  have  tried  to  help  my  husband  in  his 
political  career,'  began  Mrs.  Storrow,  'and  to  say  the  least 
I  am  sure  he  will  be  elected  Mayor.  Of  course,  I  know 
that  he  will  give  an  excellent  administration.  Because  of 
my  sickness  I  have  not  been  able  to  go  with  him  on  his 
campaign,  but  I  have  tried  in  every  way  to  make  his  sur- 
roundings pleasant,  and  I  think  that  I  have  succeeded. 
Of  course,  I  do  not  understand  the  many  points  of  politics, 
and  as  a  matter  of  fact  I  do  not  try  to.  I  keep  well  in- 
formed through  the  papers.  My  son  Jack  is  as  much  in- 
terested in  his  father's  career  as  I. 

363 


HOME-MAKING  AND  ITS  PHILOSOPHY 


"  'I  have  not  been  able  to  actually  help  Mr.  Storrow 
in  his  campaign,  but  I  think  that  every  woman  can  help 
her  husband  a  great  deal  by  just  encouraging  his  ideas 
with  words  of  praise  and  little  attentions.  These  go  to- 
wards making  his  work  an  easy  one.  In  this  way  I  have 
done  all  I  could  to  help  him.  I  am  sure  that  it  will  be  a 
good  thing  for  Boston  if  Mr.  Storrow  is  elected/  said  Mrs. 
Storrow. 

"Thus  were  the  many  hopes  of  the  four  women  whose 
husbands  want  to  be  Mayor  of  Boston.  One  and  all  they 
told  of  their  hopes  and  chances  without  the  least  bit  of 
doubt  but  what  their  husbands  were  to  be  the  future  Mayor. 
They  all  felt  sure  that  they  were  to  be  the  first  ladies  of 
Boston,  and  as  I  thought  of  them  all,  of  their  ambitions 
and  aspirations,  I  could  not  help  but  wish  that  Boston 
supported  four  Mayors  instead  of  one,  for  I  knew  that 
three  of  the  four  were  to  be  disappointed/' 


364 


CHAPTER  XII 


WHO  ARE  OUR  INFLUENTIAL  FRIENDS? 

IS  THE  training  our  daughters  are  imbibing  in  the 
schools  of  learning  fitting  them  for  wives  and  mothers 
that  will  strengthen  the  race  ?  Is  the  balance  in 
their  nature  maintained  in  sincerity  as  their  knowledge 
increases  ?  General  education  of  semblances  and  simula- 
tions enables  us  to  conceal  our  defective  traits  and  hide 
them  behind  outward  expressions,  which  seem  beautiful 
and  good,  but  does  this  build  up  true  character  ?  Men 
universally  take  it  for  granted  that  women  are  naturally 
and  richly  endowed  on  a  high  moral  plane  and  are  the 
conservators  of  goodness.  But  the  education  of  the  race 
is  a  human  institution  which  needs  the  highest  wisdom, 
not  only  to  keep  the  race  from  a  natural  degeneration  into 
shallower  living,  but  to  guide  to  a  fuller  living. 

Education,  per  se,  carries  no  moral  power  into  a  life. 
It  is  within  the  class  of  knowledge  and  the  inlaid  spirit  it 
impresses  in  its  teaching  that  strengthens  the  moral  forces 
of  soul-life  to  which  it  is  responsive.  The  gulf  between 
individual  excellence  and  effective  popular  influence  should 
be  bridged  in  supreme  kindliness.  These  principles  of 
leaven  in  culture  will  regulate  our  lives  and  uplift  our 
neighbors  and  compatriots  to  social  conditions  so  much 
desired. 

I  know  a  very  plain  farmer  who  is  the  finest  gentleman, 
I  think,  I  ever  met.  So  kind  and  genial  in  his  judgments 
and  so  full  of  wisdom  that  every  moment  in  his  presence 
is  like  the  "dew  upon  the  fleece. "  Had  he  attended  the 
higher  grades  of  school  and  received  a  liberal  education, 
would  these  gentlemanly  instincts  have  remained  as  in- 
fluential as  they  are,  or  would  external  considerations  of 

365 


HOME-MAKING  AND  ITS  PHILOSOPHT 


less  value  have  outweighed  this  natural  beauty  and  inward 
worth,  and  led  him  into  artificial  living  ?  Our  sons  are 
growing  to  be  men  of  greater  worth  because  they  are  going 
deeper  into  life's  possibilities.  They  will  combine  the 
most  powerful  manifestations  of  "beauty  in  the  splendor 
of  truth"  for  truth  and  character's  sake,  and  will  seek 
their  mates  of  equal  worth  and  lasting  power.  The  butter- 
fly is  beautiful,  but  man  is  more  beautiful  and  of  more 
worth  than  the  butterfly  because  he  is  of  himself  surrounded 
by  a  higher  sympathy  of  Heaven  without  limit,  and  because 
this  beauty  will  be  multiplied  towards  the  infinite  when  his 
wants  of  soul  and  intellect  are  being  satisfied.  Could  a 
benevolent  note  of  utmost  value  vibrate  through  human 
lives  and  convert  natural  gold  in  men  and  women  into  truth- 
ful and  current  character,  to  make  homes  enduring  centers 
of  happiness,  then  this  purpose  will  have  been  gained. 

The  Only  Divorce  Law  Valid 

Christ  said:  "What  did  Moses  command  you  ?" 

Christ  said:  "For  your  hardness  of  heart,  he  wrote  you 
this  precept,  but  from  the  beginning  of  the  creation  male 
and  female  made  he  them." 

Christ  said :  "  For  this  cause  shall  a  man  leave  his  father 
and  mother  and  shall  cleave  to  his  wife;  and  they  two  shall 
become  one  flesh,  so  that  they  are  no  more  two  but  one 
flesh." 

Christ  said:  "What  therefore  God  hath  joined  together 
let  not  man  put  asunder." 

Christ  said:  "Whosoever  shall  put  away  his  wife,  and 
marry  another  committeth  adultery  against  her  and  if  she 
herself  shall  put  away  her  husband  and  marry  another, 
she  committeth  adultery." 

Christ  said:  "But  I  say  unto  you  that  every  one  that 

366 


WHO  ARE  OUR  INFLUENTIAL  FRIENDS 


putteth  away  his  wife  save  for  the  cause  of  fornication 
committeth  adultery/' 

Christ  said:  "For  out  of  the  heart  come  evil  thoughts, 
murder,  adulteries,  fornications,  false  witness,  railings/' 

Christ  said:  "And  he  that  marrieth  her  when  she  is 
put  away  committeth  adultery." 

Christ  said:  "Every  one  who  putteth  away  his  wife, 
and  marrieth  another  committeth  adultery  and  he  that 
marrieth  one  that  is  put  away  from  a  husband  committeth 
adultery." 

Paul  said:  "But  unto  the  married,  I  give  charge,  yea 
not  I  but  the  Lord  that  the  wife  depart  not  from  her  hus- 
band." 

James  said:  "Ye  adulteresses,  know  ye  not  that  the 
friendship  of  the  world  is  enmity  with  God." 

Paul  said:  "So  then  if  while  her  husband  liveth  she  be 
married  to  another  man  she  shall  be  called  an  adulteress." 

Paul  said:  "Let  not  the  wife  depart  from  the  husband." 

Paul  said:  "Art  thou  bound  unto  a  wife?  Seek  not 
to  be  loosed." 

Peter  said:  "Ye  husbands  in  like  manner  dwell  with 
your  wives  according  to  knowledge,  giving  honor  unto 
the  woman  as  being  also  joint-heirs  of  the  grace  of  life." 

Paul  said:  "Nevertheless,  do  ye  also  severally  love 
each  one  his  own  wife  even  as  himself;  and  let  the  wife  see 
that  she  fear  her  husband." 

John  said:  "Behold  what  manner  of  love  the  father 
has  bestowed," 


367 


CHAPTER  XIII 


LINEAL  SOCIETIES. 

WE  advocate  the  formation  of  lineal  societies  for  a 
name  and  race  with  branches  in  all  countries,  along 
the  lines  indicated  by  the  objects  here  given. 

Objects: 

To  increase  usefulness  and  improvement  of  the  race. 

To  value  and  increase  hereditary  strength. 

To  unfold  the  true  philosophy  in  making  new  homes. 

To  encourage  marriage  alliances  based  upon  love,  reason, 

and  judgment. 
To  strengthen  race  principles  by  wise  alliances. 
To  observe  the  differences  between  the  families  of  man  in 

the  making. 

To  impress  the  obligation  upon  the  children  to  be  guided 

by  our  wisdom  gained  from  experience. 
To   hold   annual   meetings,   and   exchange  international 

reports. 

To  preserve  the  name  in  its  pure  original  orthography. 
The    honorable  attainment  of  higher   standards  among 
families  and  races. 

Benefits: 

Giving  heed  to  God's  wireless  messages  as  the  basis  of 
race  honor. 

Finding  new  incentives  for  weakest  members  of  the  race. 
Mistakes  used  as  stepping-stones  to  better  things. 
The  value  of  kinship  in  mutual  progression. 
Human  nature  and  its  institutions  may  be  improved  and 
perfected  by  effectual  methods. 


368 


CHAPTER  XIV 


THE  KING  OF  CONIFERS 

THE  majesty  of  home  is  aptly  and  broadly  illustrated 
by  the  pine  tree,  which  is  the  friend  of  man  in  a  hun- 
dred ways.  The  king  of  conifers  is  tall,  and  carries 
a  graceful  figure.  Its  central  shaft  is  a  single  stem  point- 
ing straight  into  the  skies.  Its  form  is  very  picturesque  in 
youth  and  found  even  standing  over  a  warm  raviney  slope 
or  hillside,  in  the  forests,  straight  and  beautifully  sym- 
metrical in  old  age.  Then  its  trunk  makes  a  tower  one 
hundred  and  fifty  feet  high,  and  it  calls  itself  "command- 
ing," like  the  homes  of  a  glorious  nation.  From  the  plains 
fce'-jw  how  lofty  is  this  tree!  The  pine  tree  never  changes 
from  its  original  type,  however  broken  by  storms  or  acci- 
dents. Its  growth  is  slow  and  steady — like  that  of  the  best 
of  men.  Its  chief  action  is  to  mount  heavenward  by  regular 
steps  while  maintaining  an  outward  silence  or  a  very  sweet 
and  low  undertone  in  wind  croonings.  It  subdues  the  gales 
by  dividing  their  forces  between  the  whorls  of  branches. 
It  resists  the  storms  with  whispering  music,  murmuring 
peace  through  its  weird,  sheavy  harpstrings. 

This  tree  has  lived  with  man  from  earliest  times  and 
has  accompanied  him  on  his  migrations.  In  its  shelters 
and  swinging  shadows  the  nurslings  of  the  grosbeaks,  lin- 
nets and  warblers  live  and  grow  and  sing  and  mate  again. 
The  pine  does  not  put  off  last  year's  dressing  until  the  new 
is  earned  and  paid  for  and  fitted  on.  The  colors  are  ever 
so  soft  and  mild.  It  makes  no  noise  or  bluster  but  stands 
erect  in  inward  dignity  and  outward  grandeur. 

It  supplies  the  tallest  masts  for  ships  of  war  or  commerce, 
and  is  supremely  useful  in  the  arts  of  enduring  peace  for 
home  and  nation  building.    Its  roots  run  deep  and  wide 

369 


HOME-MAKING  AND  ITS  PHILOSOPHY 


and  strong  and  lock  themselves  securely  around  the 
boulders  to  hold  its  place  on  a  shelving  bank  for  hundreds 
of  years  or  more. 

It  drops  its  useless  limbs  while  growing  into  usefulness, 
as  men  their  youthful  follies.  If  the  trunk  or  column  is 
broken  on  its  way  to  heaven,  from  the  first  whorl  there 
rises  its  finest  and  strongest  lateral  branch  to  take  the  for- 
mer leader's  place,  and  point  up  as  does  the  spire.  If  two 
branches  arise  together  the  weaker  in  the  race  falls  back 
into  its  former  place.  The  branches  of  the  pines  are  spacious 
parasols  to  make  shaded  homes  for  children  and  homing 
birds  and  animals  of  the  fields  and  woods  either  on  the  high 
hilltops  or  their  sunny,  coving  banks. 

Its  stems  and  leaves  distil  essential  oil  for  medicine,  ^iod 
turpentine  and  tar  for  the  use  of  man.  The  nuts  and 
seeds  of  one  variety  in  the  southern  clime  are  used  for  food. 
Its  balsam  and  frankincense  heal  our  wounds  and  regale 
our  nostrils  with  a  fragrant  balm.  Sweet  is  the  air  and 
odor  of  the  pines.  Its  needles  drop  as  from  the  zenith, 
in  the  long  summer  days,  and  lay  a  pretty  carpet  in  a  soft 
yellow-brown,  with  a  spray  of  bright  colors  of  laurel  in  red 
and  green  in  early  autumn  peeping  through  their  leaves 
in  annuals  and  perennials  too.  Under  the  healthful  pines 
we  tread  in  untroubled  serenity  and  fruitful  contemplation. 

The  ceiling  of  its  plumy  branches  is  of  greenish  brown 
finely  dappled  in  grey  or  bluish-purple,  the  royal  shades. 
Its  magnificent  proportions  temper  summer  heat  and 
winter  cold  as  no  other  living  trees  with  us  can  do.  Its 
philosophies  of  health  are  spoken  in  waxen  tones  of  mur- 
muring symphonies.  Members  of  this  family  have  out- 
lived some  of  the  races  of  mankind,  and  at  the  end  of  life, 
when  its  work  is  done  and  its  body  removed,  its  roots  last 
almost  a  century  longer.    It  loves  to  dwell  in  good  fellow- 

37° 


THE  KING  OF  CONIFERS 


ship  with  our  beautiful  maples,  ashes,  spruces,  birches 
and  oaks  in  mutual  accentuation. 

This  tree  unique  in  the  family  of  nature  aptly  illustrates 
our  homes  and  serves  us  with  a  handsome,  faithful  type 
truthful  from  its  beginning  to  its  useful  end.  In  our  an- 
cestral modest  homes  our  mothers  rose  to  leadership — they 
had  qualified  with  knowledge  of  family  interest  and  un- 
remitting assistance  in  bread-winning  to  fill  the  vacant 
place  and  bridge  necessity.  "The  glory  of  Lebanon  shall 
come  unto  thee,  the  fir  tree,  the  pine  and  the  box  tree  to- 
gether to  beautify  the  place  of  my  sanctuary,  and  I  will 
make  the  place  of  my  feet  glorious/' 


37i 


CHAPTER  XV 


DIFFERENCES  BETWEEN  FAMILIES 

MAN'S  desire  for  strength  and  stronger  development 
lies  deeper  than  the  human  self,  and  has  its  inspring 
in  the  eternal  soul  and  mind,  of  which  the  divinity 
within  us  forms  a  part.  He  will  struggle  and  act  with 
wondrous  freedom  and  independence  to  be  a  man,  but  is 
overapt  to  accord  his  origin  and  energy  wholly  to  himself. 
He  exercises  more  will-power  to  enforce  with  creating  effect 
the  soul's  mellowing  influences.  Our  highest  aspirations 
live  in  the  soul,  breathed  into  man's  nostrils,  and  may  exist 
either  active  or  latent.  Even  the  seeds  of  the  earth  may 
be  latent  a  thousand  years  before  proving  they  have  life. 
The  unused  talent  was  returned  when  called  for,  undi- 
minished. Its  design  and  capacity  is  for  truth  and  truth 
cannot  be  destroyed.  There  is  great  virtue  for  men  in 
mature  life  to  exert  their  neglected  wills  in  line  of  their 
Ruler's  imparting  strength,  and  bringing  into  use  the  un- 
rolling of  the  soul  forces  in  His  service  and  kingdom  here. 
The  soul  does  not  age,  or  grow  less.  It  has  truth  within, 
ready  to  feel  and  to  know  when  a  will-power  in  life  is  ap- 
plied. The  Creator  is  always  willing  to  lead  and  strengthen, 
and  awaken  higher  latent  forces  we  possess,  and  we  may 
safely  count  on  His  instant  help. 

What  makes  the  difference  between  families  or  races  ? 
The  desire  for  expression  of  broader  life  is  truth  seeking  its 
own  freedom  in  the  soul's  natural  expression  in  communion 
with  each  other.  Some  experience  and  know  this  innate 
desire,  and  it  becomes  a  mastering  passion  to  build  a  family 
that  will  continue  and  grow  far  down  the  years.  We  be- 
lieve we  are  built  on  the  principle  to  live  forever.  The 
development  on  lines  of  truth  is  paramount.    The  habit 

372 


DIFFERENCES  BETWEEN  FAMILIES 


of  persevering  with  a  resolute  will,  and  with  the  use  of  ap 
proved  internal  and  external  aids,  until  the  habits  and 
principles  are  established  in  the  life,  lays  the  basis  of  success- 
ful lives  now,  and  of  those  who  are  to  follow.    These  are 
the  mastering  opportunities  for  the  betterment  of  the  race. 

Every  good  quality  in  man  has  its  opposite  set  in  con- 
trast; for  example,  forgiveness  has  its  opposite  in  resent- 
ment, trustworthiness  in  faithlessness.  But  in  the  higher 
realms  of  the  soul  some  of  the  finer  forces  are  harmony 
versus  discord,  reverence  versus  irreverence,  tolerance  ver- 
sus bigotry,  knowledge  versus  ignorance;  and  men  may 
introduce  the  good  to  drive  out  the  bad,  as  we  use  a  punch 
of  steel  to  drive  out  a  rusty  screw;  but  we  must  have  Deity 
to  guide  and  encourage  by  His  word  and  spirit  to  make 
these  men  the  fathers  of  nobler  succeeding  generations. 
The  consciousness  of  right-doing  brings  balance  and  con- 
scious rest.  Money-making  for  its  own  sake  wears  out  the 
human  powers  and  gives  the  soul  no  proper  compensation. 
The  hope  of  founding  a  family  who  are  to  live  well  through 
the  centuries  must  have  its  base  and  birth  within  the  soul, 
considered  as  a  distinct  entity,  interrelated  with  the  body 
and  yet  the  wholly  God-given  part  of  the  man.  All  men 
have  souls,  but  all  men  do  not  use  them.  They  use  their 
human  nature  only.  Men  may  have  jewels  in  their  cas- 
kets, but  to  be  of  value  they  must  be  brought  into  the  light 
and  used.  If  the  hope  for  family  distinction  is  born  in  the 
human  heart  and  mind  only,  it  is  likely  to  share  with  all 
perishable  things,  as  does  the  purely  human.  But  with  the 
soul-center  as  a  basis  of  its  truth,  it  carries  permanency 
into  human  life  in  its  very  nature  and  quality,  to  strengthen 
and  endure.  The  founding  of  a  family  is  usually  a  cherished 
secret  hope  that  generations  far  beyond  the  fourth  may  go 
on  advancing  with  the  centuries.    Conscience  and  con- 

373 


HOME-MAKING  AND  ITS  PHILOSOPHY 


victions  will  be  fibered  in  each  generation.  This  principle 
in  the  life  will  grow  into  a  noble  supremacy.  Our  worthy 
grandsires  and  sires  had  simplicity  in  form  and  strength 
of  feeling,  with  sincerity  of  purpose  they  had  inherited  from 
their  ancestral  line. 

A  house  is  built  of  bricks  and  stones, 

Of  sills  and  posts  and  piers; 
But  a  home  is  built  of  loving  deeds 

That  stand  a  thousand  years. 


374 


BOOK  FOUR 

THE  ARCHIBALD  RACE  IN 
NORTH  AMERICA 


CHAPTER  I 


GENERAL  INFORMATION 

ARMS  of  the  Archibald  family  of  Blackhall,  Scotland: 
Argent,  on  a  bend  azure  between  two  mullets  of  the 
second  a  crescent  of  the  first.    Crest:  A  decrescent 
argent.    Motto:  Ut  reficiar.     (That  I  may  be  refreshed.) 

Arms  of  a  cadet  branch  of  the  family  of  Archibald  and 
Archibald  of  Blackhall,  Scotland:  Argent,  on  a  bend  between 
two  mullets  azure  as  many  crescents  of  the  first,  within  a 
bordure  engrailed  of  the  second.  Crest:  A  branch  of  palm 
tree  slipped  proper.  Motto:  Ditat  servata  fides.  (Faith 
kept  enriches.) 

Arms  granted  in  1871  to  Sir  Thomas  Dickson  Archibald 
of  Nova  Scotia:  Argent,  on  a  bend  azure  between  two  estoiles 
of  the  last  three  crescents  of  the  first,  all  within  a  bordure 
invected  sable  charged  with  three  mullets  or.  Crest:  A 
palm  branch  slipped  in  bend  proper,  in  front  thereof  a  mount 
vert  thereon  an  estoile  or.  Motto:  Palma  non  sine  pulvere. 
(The  palm  not  without  wrestling  for  it.) 

Arms  of  the  Archebold  or  Archbold  family  of  Stafford- 
shire, England:  Argent,  a  lion  rampant  between  three 
(another,  six)  fleur-de-lys  sable.  Crest:  A  lion's  head  erased 
argent  collared  gules. 

Arms  of  the  family  of  Archbold  of  Worcestershire,  Eng- 
land: Argent,  a  lion  rampant  between  six  fleur-de-lys  sable, 
a  crescent  for  difference.    Crest:  A  dove  rising  argent. 

Arms  of  the  Archbold  family  of  Kilmacud,  Co.  Dublin, 
Ireland:  Ermine,  a  saltire  and  a  chief  gules.  Crest:  A  lion's 
head  couped  ermine,  guttee  de  sang. 

From  the  annual  report  of  the  Committee  on  Heraldry: 
The  mere  fact  that  an  individual  possessed  a  painting  of  a 
coat  of  arms,  used  it  upon  plate,  or  as  a  bookplate  or  seal, 

377 


HOME-MAKING  AND  ITS  PHILOSOPHY 


or  had  it  put  upon  his  gravestone,  is  not  proof  that  he  had  a 
right  to  it.  Proof  of  right  must  either  be  found  in  the 
Heralds'  records,  or  be  established  by  authenticated  pedigree 
direct  from  an  armiger.  A  coat  of  arms  did  not  belong  with 
a  family  name,  but  only  to  the  particular  family,  bearing  the 
name,  to  whose  progenitor  it  had  been  granted  or  confirmed; 
and  it  was  as  purely  individual  a  piece  of  property  as  a  home- 
stead. 

Memoranda  Relating  to  the  Archbold 
Family  of  Alnwick 
The  Archbolds  were  a  family  of  importance  in  Alnwick 
for  at  least  a  century  and  a  half.  William,  the  first  recorded, 
was  at  South  Park  in  1650,  and  John,  the  last  of  them  in 
Alnwick,  died  there  in  1805.  Successive  members  of  the 
family  were  bailiffs  to  the  Earls  of  Northumberland,  tenants 
of  Cawledge  South  Park — still  called  Archbold's  Park, — 
and  owners  of  considerable  property  in  the  parish  of  Alnwick. 
St.  Thomas's  lands,  formerly  part  of  the  possessions  of  Aln- 
wick Abbey,  and  other  fields,  and  several  burgages  in  the 
town  belonged  to  them.  They  loom  largely  in  Alnwick 
Church:  on  the  monumental  limestone  slab  "Gulielmi 
Archbold,"  their  arms,  a  lion  rampant  between  six  fleurs- 
de-lis,  and  crest,  a  fleur-de-lis,  are  grandly  sculptured,  and 
they  appear,  too,  with  the  initials  I.  A.  and  date  171 1,  on  the 
lintel  of  a  doorway  of  one  of  the  burgages  which  belonged  to 
them. 

Monumental  Inscriptions,  Alnwick  Church: 

Here  lyeth  vnder 

bvried  the  body  of 
Margaret  second  wife 
to  William  Archbovld 

departed  the  14  of 
February  anno  doni  1675 

and  at  her  north  side 

378 


GENERAL  INFORMATION 


ovr  davghter  Mary  Arch 
bovld  who  alsoe  departed 
this  life  the  7  day  of 
September  anno  dni 
1675. 

Death  is  our  gaine. 

Here  lyeth  vnder  Bvried  the 
Body  of  William  Archbovld 

yovngest  sonn  of  John 
Archbovld  of  Cavlledg  Park 
who  dep'ted  this  life  March 
the  27th  day  1 7 1 2.    Here  lyeth 
the  Body  of  John  Archbold  son  of 
William  Archbold  who  departed 
the  3 1  st  of  May  1730  Aged  76  years. 


Here  lyeth  vnder 
neath  Buried  the  Body  of 
.  .  .  a  Archbovld  the 
wife  of  William  Arch 
bovld  who  departed  this 
life  the  6  day  of  Aprill 
Anno  Doni  1651 
And  with  her  his 
davghter  Dorothy 
which  departed  this 
life  also  the  19  day 
of  October  Anno 
doni 1676 

Here  lyeth  vnder  bvried 

the  body  of  William 
Archbovld  son  to  John 
Archbovld  of  Cavledge 
West  Park  who  departed 
this  life  the  20  day  of 
November  anno  d'ni 
1693 

Att  his  Right  Side  lieth 
Jane  his  Sister  who  dep'ted 
this  Life  Septem.  the  25th 
Anno  1698 


379 


HOME-MAKING  AND  ITS  PHILOSOPHY 


Here  lyeth  the  Body  of  Jane 
Archbold  the  Daughter  of 
Edward  Archbold  who 
departed  the  9th  of  December 
1727  aged  7  years. 

Piae  D.  Gulielmi  Archbould 
Parentis  Memoriae  hoc  A  Se  Vivo 
Paratum  Monumentum  Insculpi 

Curavit  Elizabetha  Filia  P.  S. 
Mortuus  est  Julij  14  Anno  1700 
iEtatis  p.  m.  82. 

Arms:  A  lion  rampant  between  six  fleurs-de-lis.    Crest:  A  fleur-de-lis. 

Here  lyeth  the  Body  of  Jane 
Wife  of  Captain  Ralph  Arch 
bold  who  Departed  this 
Life  August  the  6  1737 
She  was  A  Religious  Woman 
A  Loveing  Wife  and  A  tender 

Mother  and  was  Daughter 
to  Mr  Adam  Thompson  At 
torney  At  Law  Late  of 
Alnwick  Deceased  At  her 
Left  side  Lyeth  three  of  Our 
Children  George  Archbold 
died  December  ye  14th  1729 
Jane  Archbold  died  Octobr 
ye  31  1732  William  Archbold 
died  March  ye  17th  1732. 

Mary  Archbovld. 

Here  lyeth  Issabel 
the  Wife  of  John 
Archbold  who  De 
parted  this  Life  anno 
Domini  1734  aged  81  years. 

Here  lyeth  the  Body  of 
Mr  Edward  Archbold 
who  Departed  this  Life  Sept. 
22  Day  1764  aged  79  years 
At  his  right  side  Lyeth  his  wife 
Mrs  Dorothy  Archbold  who 
died  April  27th  1 769  aged  68  years. 

380 


GENERAL  INFORMATION 


Also  the  body  of  John  Archbold 
who  died  22nd  June  1805 
aged  83  years 
Also  the  body  of  Jane  his  wife 
who  died  2nd  October  1803 
aged  71  years. 

Extracts  from  the  Registers  of  Alnwick  Church: 

Christenings 

1650.  August  4,  Ralph  Son  of  William  Archbold  of  the  South  Park. 
1676.  January  29,  Margaret  Daughter  of  John  Archbold  of  South  Calledge 
parke. 

1678.  William  Son  of  John  Archbold  of  Calledge  park. 
1680.  October  3,  Isable  Daughter  of  John  Archbold  of  South  Calledge 
parke. 

1682.  January  3,  Jane  daughter  of  John  Archbold  of  Calledge  parke. 
1685.  May  22,  Edward  Son  of  Mr.  John  Archbold  of  Caledge  parke. 
1687.  December  6,  Elizabeth  daughter  of  John  Archbold  of  the  Parke. 

1690.  September  25,  John  Son  of  Mr.  John  Archbold  of  Calise  parke. 

1 691.  December  8,  Ralph  Son  of  Mr.  John  Archbold. 

1694.  November  8,  William  Son  of  John  Archbold  of  Calise  Parke. 
1 701.  November  14,  Henry  Son  of  Mr.  Joshua  Archbould. 

1704.  April  18,  Ralph  Son  of  Mr.  Joshua  Archbould  of  Cornhill. 

1705.  December  22,  Elizabeth  daughter  of  Mr.  Joshua  Archbould. 

1707.  March  16,  Margaret  daughter  of  Mr.  Joshua  Archbould  and  his  wife 
Alice  now  living  att  Berwick  was  born  the  25th  of  Feb.  and  bap- 
tised the  4th  March  1707. 

1 718.  October  26,  Anne  daughter  of  John  Archbould. 

1720.  August  2,  Jane  daughter  of  Mr.  Edward  Archbold. 

1722.  April  18,  John  Son  of  Edward  Archbold  and  Dorothy  his  Wife. 

1722.  September  8,  Elizabeth  daughter  of  Ralph  Archbold  and  Jane  his 

wife. 

1723.  March  16,  Thomas  Son  of  Edward  Archbold  Callice  park. 

1724.  December  12,  George  Son  of  Ralph  Archbold  and  Jane  his  wife. 
1727.  March  20,  Isabel  daughter  of  Edward  Archbold  and  Dorothy  his 

wife. 

1729.  January  31,  Jane  daughter  of  Edward  Archbold  and  Dorothy  his 

wife. 

1730.  December  6,  Margaret  daughter  of  Ralph  Archbold  and  Jane  his 

wife. 

1746.  October  22,  Samuel  Son  of  Mr.  Edward  Archbold  of  Calledge  park. 

Marriages 

1700.  November  19,  Mr.  Joshua  Archbould  and  Alice  Swinhoe. 

381 


HOME-MAKING  AND  ITS  PHILOSOPHY 


1703.  January  I,  John  Archbould  of  Carham  and  Mrs.  Auckram  in  parish 
of  Kirknewton. 

1744.  February  14,  Mr.  John  Archbold  and  Mary  Middlemas. 

Burials 

1659.  October  21,  Elizabeth  Daughter  of  William  Archbold. 

1675.  February  16,  Margaret  Wife  of  William  Archbold. 

1698.  May  27,  Ann  wife  of  Mr.  Joshua  Archbould. 

1698.  September  27,  Jane  daughter  of  Mr.  John  Archbould. 

1700.  July  16,  Mr.  William  Archbould. 

1709.  July  24,  Mr.  Joshua  Archbould. 

1 712.  March  28,  William  Son  of  John  Archbold  of  Calledge  Park. 
1727.  December  10,  Elizabeth  daughter  of  Edward  Archbold. 

1729.  December  16,  George  Son  of  Ralph  Archbould. 

1730.  May  26,  John  Archbould. 

1732.  November  2,  Jane  daughter  of  Captain  Ralph  Archbould. 

1733.  March  19,  William  Son  of  Ralph  Archbould. 

1734.  December  6,  Isabel  wife  of  John  Archbould. 
1737.  August  8,  Jane  wife  of  Captain  Ralph  Archbould. 
1754.  May  24,  Mrs.  Elizabeth  Archbold  of  Bondgate. 

1766.  September  25,  Edward  Archbold  of  Bondgate  Gentleman  formerly 

of  Calledge  Park. 

1767.  April  22,  Ralph  Archbold  Gentleman  formerly  in  the  Navy. 

1769.  April  30,  Mrs.  Dorothy  Archbold  widow  of  Mr.  Edward  Archbold 
heretofore  of  Calledge-park  but  late  of  Alnwick. 

John  Archbold  Gentleman  died  June  22  buried  June  25  1805  aged  83  years. 

Jane  Archbold  wife  of  John  Archbold  Gentleman  died  Oct.  2  buried  Oct.  5 
1803  aged  71  years. 

This  name  Archibald  also  appears  under  the  following 
spellings:  Archabald,  Archbld,  Archaball,  Archasbell,  Arch- 
bold, Archebell,  Archibel,  Archibell,  Archboulde,  Archbald, 
Archbault,  Archbould,  Asspoll,  Archball,  Arcebaud,  Erchen- 
bald,  German;  Archambault,  French;  Archibaldo,  Italian. 

Index  to  the  Prerogative  Wills  of  Ireland,  1536-18 10. 
These  wills  were  edited  by  Sir  Arthur  Vicars,  F.  S.  A.,  Ulster 
King  of  Arms,  1897  : 

Annie  Archbold,  Kilkenny,  1765;  Catherine  Archbold, 
Dublin,  1 771;  Dorothea  Archbold,  Arran-quay  Nunnery, 
1784;  Emilia  Archbold,  Dublin,  1784;  Gerald  Archbold; 
Naas,  1775;  Gerad  Archbold,  Eadstown,  1695;  Gerad  Arch- 
bold, Donode,  1763;  Lieutenant  Gregory  Archbold,  1755, 

382 


GENERAL  INFORMATION 


James  Archbold,  Rathmecloge,  1631 ;  James  Archbold, 
Baldwinstown,  1767;  James  Archbold,  Dublin,  1795;  James 
Archbold,  1801;  Joan  Archbold,  Collens,  1 716;  Joan  Arch- 
bold, 1726;  John  Archbold,  Dublin,  1773;  John  Archbold, 
Blackrath,  1789;  Mary  Archbold,  1742;  Michael  Archbold, 
Davidstown,  1780;  Pierce  Archbold,  Ushers-quay,  Dublin, 
1776;  Pierce  Archbold,  Drogheda,  1792;  Pierse  Archbold, 
Knockanegrough,  171 1;  Richard  Archbold,  M.D.,  Dublin, 
1704;  Richard  Archbold,  Lisburn,  1767;  Robert  Archbold, 
Davidstown,  1737;  Thomas  Archbold,  Captain  47th  Regi- 
ment, 1763;  Thomas  Archbold,  Dublin,  1779;  William  Arch- 
bold, Davidstown,  1753;  William  Archbold  (Asspoil), 
Kinlestown,  1608;  Walter  Archbolde,  Tymolin,  1629; 
Anthony  Archbould,  Dublin,  Merchant,  1726;  William 
Archibald,  Belfast,  Merchant,  1752. 

Sir  Henry  Archbold,  of  Litchfeild,  knighted  at  Whitehall, 
November  21,  1670.  Sir  Henry  Archbold,  of  Leitchfeild, 
knighted  Vt  Supra  LL.D.,  and  Chancellor  to  the  Bishop 
of  Leitchfeild  and  Coventry. 

Olliver's  History  of  Antigua,  West  Indies,  gives  the  fol- 
lowing names  as  residents  of  that  island: 

Dr.  Joshua  Archbould  died  at  St.  Philip's,  1758;  Samuel 
Archibald  died  at  St.  John's,  1732;  Anne  Archbould,  died 
1745;  Richard  B.  Archbould  died  1745;  Sarah  Archbould 
died  1747;  Henry  Archbould  died  1749;  Margaret  Archibald 
died  1712;  William  Archibald  died  171 7;  Mrs.  Frances 
Archibald  died  1727;  Mrs.  Ann  Archibald  died  1728;  William 
Yeaman  Archbould  died  1763;  John  Archbould;  Joseph 
Archbould;  Joshua  Archbould. 

The  Archboulds  resided  in  St.  Philip's  parish  and  the 
Archibalds  in  St.  John's  parish,  on  opposite  sides  of  the 
Island  of  Antigua.  There  is  evidence  here  of  a  change  in 
spelling  the  name  from  Archbould  to  Archbold. 

383 


HOME-MAKING  AND  ITS  PHILOSOPHY 


The  first  home  of  the  Archibalds  in  Nova  Scotia  was  in 
Truro.  At  the  natal  day  celebration  of  this  town  in  1882, 
an  address  was  delivered  by  Mr.  Israel  Longworth,  from 
which  the  following  extracts  are  taken: 

"As  early  as  1762-3  justices  of  the  peace  were  appointed, 
and  militia  organized  in  the  townships.  David  and  Samuel 
Archibald  were  two  of  four  brothers,  from  whom  all  the 
Archibalds  in  Nova  Scotia  and  many  of  the  neighboring 
provinces  and  states  are  descended.  David  was  the  first 
justice  as  well  as  the  first  militia  officer  in  Truro.  He  was 
also  the  first  representative  of  the  township  in  the  General 
Assembly  of  the  province.  He  is  known  and  is  now  spoken 
of  as  Major  David  Archibald.  As  a  magistrate  he  was  im- 
partial, but  extremely  eccentric  in  his  administration  of 
justice.  It  was  no  uncommon  thing  for  him  to  cane  offend- 
ers with  his  own  hands.  Having  found  two  boys  belonging 
to  the  settlement  stealing  apples  on  a  Sunday  from  his 
garden,  he  locked  them  up  in  his  cellar.  At  their  parents' 
request  he  set  them  at  liberty,  on  condition  that  they  should 
come  before  him  on  Monday,  when  he  tied  them  to  one  of  the 
trees  from  which  the  apples  had  been  taken,  and  caned  them. 

"Mrs.  Upham,  a  school  teacher,  had  a  remarkably 
hasty  temper.  A  story  is  told  of  the  late  Peter  S.  Archibald, 
who,  having  made  his  appearance  at  school  without  know- 
ing his  lessons,  was  kept  in  and  compelled  to  learn  '  a  task.' 
In  order  to  keep  Master  Peter  a  long  time  and  punish  him 
thoroughly,  Mrs.  Upham  requested  him  to  memorize  an 
entire  chapter  from  the  New  Testament.  Having  twice 
hurriedly  read  it  through,  the  embryo  colonel  presented 
himself  before  his  frowning  teacher  and  repeated  the  chap- 
ter word  for  word.  Being  deeply  annoyed  at  Peter's  suc- 
cess she  dealt  him  a  sharp  blow  on  the  side  of  the  head 
with  a  book,  and  said  'Go.' 

384 


GENERAL  INFORMATION 


"The  Rev.  John  Burnyeat,  father  of  Lady  Archibald, 
was  the  first  clergyman  of  the  Church  of  England  stationed 
at  Truro.  He  was  son  of  John  and  Alice  Burnyeat,  of 
Loweswater,  England.  He  was  a  man  of  unbounded 
Christian  benevolence,  and  of  a  most  humane  and  charitable 
disposition.  For  a  year  or  two  before  settling  in  Nova 
Scotia  he  performed  missionary  work  in  New  Brunswick. 
In  the  year  1818  he  was  licensed  to  officiate  in  this  province, 
and  received  the  appointment  of  rector  at  Truro,  which  he 
held  at  his  death.  He  preached  in  the  old  court  house  at 
the  common  till  about  the  year  1821,  when  the  neat  wooden 
edifice  which  stood  on  the  corner  of  Prince  and  Church 
Streets,  until  recently  replaced  by  one  of  the  handsomest 
freestone  churches  this  side  of  Montreal,  was  ready  for  pub- 
lic worship.  The  late  Judge  Archibald  presented  a  bell 
to  the  church,  whose  melodious  peals  were  the  only  ones 
heard  in  Truro  for  many  years.  Its  sweet  cadences  still 
remind  the  good  people  of  Truro  of  their  duty  to  observe 
the  Lord's  day.  It  has  the  following  inscription  engraved 
upon  it:  'This  bell  was  the  gift  of  the  Honorable  S.  G.  W. 
Archibald,  LL.D.,  to  St.  John's  Church  in  Truro,  in  the 
Diocese  of  Nova  Scotia,  British  North  America,  A.D.,  1827.' 

"And  what  shall  I  more  say?  For  the  time  would  fail 
me  to  tell  of  that  great  man,  Samuel  George  William  Archi- 
bald, LL.D.,  and  of  his  eminent  sons;  of  the  birch  rod 
dominies  of  early  days;  of  the  first  doctors,  from  John  Harris, 
who  represented  the  town  in  the  Assembly  one  hundred 
years  ago,  to  Samuel  Muir,  a  leading  practitioner  in  Nova 
Scotia,  who  died  in  1875,  an<^  °f  tne  representatives  of  the 
township  to  the  House  of  Assembly  from  Major  David 
Archibald  in  1766,  to  Alexander  L.  Archibald,  the  last 
elected,  in  1846,  about  whom  many  good  stories  could  be 
told. 

385 


HOME-MAKING  AND  ITS  PHILOSOPHY 


"Mr.  Burnyeat  married  Lavinia,  daughter  of  Charles 
Dickson,  of  Onslow,  a  young  lady  of  rare  beauty,  who  in 
the  days  of  Lord  Dalhousie  was  one  of  the  handsomest 
personages  known  to  Government  House  circles.  Their 
Truro  home,  familiarly  known  as  '  The  Cottage,'  in  Mr. 
Burnyeat's  lifetime  acquired  the  reputation  of  being  one  of 
the  handsomest  country  residences  in  Nova  Scotia,  and  its 
proprietor  one  of  the  most  hospitable  of  hosts,  a  dual  dis- 
tinction that  still  attaches  to  it  in  the  hands  of  his  son-in- 
law,  our  worthy  Lieutenant-Governor." 

"The  incorporation  of  the  town  of  Truro  was  in  1875, 
when  Charles  B.  Archibald,  Esq.,  was  elected  first  mayor." 

"The  chapel  in  which  Mr.  Dimock  began  the  Baptist 
church  in  Truro  stood  by  Archibald's  Mill,  near  Salmon 
River  bridge.    It  was  erected  July  8,  1833." 

"The  first  Methodist  chapel  was  built  on  the  east  side 
of  Archibald's  Mill  Race,  on  the  Back  Street,  formerly  so 
called,  and  made  ready  to  occupy  in  1844." 

A  census  of  Truro  in  1770  shows  eleven  families  of  Archi- 
balds, enumerated  as  follows:  David  Archibald,  eight 
children;  Matthew  Archibald,  five  children;  Samuel  Archi- 
bald, Sr.,  five  children;  Samuel  Archibald,  thirteen  children; 
John  Archibald,  four  children;  Robert  Archibald,  four 
children;  Thomas  Archibald,  eight  children;  James  Archi- 
bald, nine  children;  David  Archibald,  3d,  one  child;  John 
Archibald,  2d,  one  child;  Thomas  Archibald,  Jr.,  one  child. 

Samuel  George  William  Archibald,  the  third  son  of 
Samuel  and  Rachel  Archibald,  was  born  in  Truro,  Febru- 
ary 5,  1777.  He  was  left  a  fatherless  boy  when  about  three 
years  old,  and  was  taken  by  his  grandfather  and  brought 
up  until  he  was  able  to  earn  his  own  living.  He  went  to 
Stewiacke  and  commenced  improving  the  same  farm  that 
his  brother  had  been  working  on  before  his  death.  He 

386 


GENERAL  INFORMATION 


began  the  study  of  law,  and  it  was  but  a  short  time  until  he 
was  admitted  to  the  bar.  He  took  up  his  work  with  a  vigor 
which  but  few  persons  can  bring  into  action,  and  soon  became 
popular.  In  1806  he  was  delegated  to  represent  the  County 
of  Halifax  in  the  House  of  Assembly,  and  he  continued  to 
hold  the  seat  for  thirty  years.  He  represented  the  County 
of  Colchester  from  the  year  1836  to  1841.  On  May  21,  1817, 
he  was  appointed  King's  Counsel.  On  February  15,  1825, 
he  was  unanimously  chosen  speaker  of  the  House  of  As- 
sembly. He  filled  the  office  of  clerk  of  the  peace  for  a  few 
years  when  a  young  man;  also  of  judge  of  probate.  He 
was  appointed  Solicitor-General  on  April  11,  1826,  and  was 
Attorney-General  for  a  number  of  years.  In  1841  he  was 
appointed  to  the  office  of  Master  of  Rolls.  He  married 
Elizabeth,  daughter  of  Charles  and  Amelia  Dickson,  of 
Onslow,  March  16,  1802.  Mrs.  Archibald  died  in  Halifax, 
May  13,  1830,  aged  forty-three  years.  He  was  married  to 
Mrs.  Joanna  Bradley,  August,  1832,  and  died  in  Halifax, 
January  28,  1846,  aged  sixty-nine  years.  His  widow  died 
in  England. 

After  Mr.  Archibald's  acceptance  of  Master  of  Rolls  and 
Judge  of  the  Court  of  Vice  Admiralty,  he  visited  his  beautiful 
estate  on  the  Salmon  River,  Truro,  where  many  of  the 
associations  of  his  life  were  connected.  If  we  wish  to  fully 
know  men  and  catch  the  coloring  effects  on  the  finer  life 
which  is  lived  in  sequestered  spots  wholly  apart  from  pro- 
fessional or  commercial  life,  we  must  see  the  places  where 
they  dwell.  He  had  not  allowed  his  name  and  race  inherit- 
ance of  arboriculture  and  the  beautiful  in  landscape  life  to 
be  eclipsed  by  the  rancor  and  political  activities  of  a  stren- 
uous life. 

His  country  residence  and  outlook  were  partly  upland, 
partly  intervale,  by  a  steep  bank,  near  the  edge  of  which 

387 


HOME-MAKING  AND  ITS  PHILOSOPHY 


stood  his  home,  looking  out  on  the  level  plain  in  front,  which 
was  under  the  highest  cultivation,  and  studded  with  gigantic 
elms,  many  of  them  remnant  of  the  original  forest  and  all 
coeval  with  the  first  inhabitants  of  the  valley. 

"  Through  these  the  beautiful  river  meandered  in  graceful 
curves,  which  reflected  the  western  sun  of  a  summer's  after- 
noon in  gorgeous  hues.  A  lovelier  scene  than  that  from  the 
old  homestead  of  Mr.  Archibald,  Nova  Scotia  does  not  afford. 
His  affections  clung  to  it  from  his  youth  upwards.  Here 
every  summer  he  spent  the  leisure  weeks  he  was  able  to 
steal  from  a  busy  life,  here  he  cultivated  the  kindly  affections 
of  his  neighbors,  here  he  acquired  by  genial  and  unaffected 
familiarity  with  the  country  people  that  hold  upon  their 
hearts  he  retained  to  the  end  of  his  life. 

Here,  too,  he  kept  open  house  for  all  comers,  who  were 
delighted  with  his  courtesy  and  charmed  by  his  unfailing 
spirits.  Here  he  entertained  the  best  and  the  noblest  in  the 
land.  The  Dalhousies,  the  Kempts,  the  Foxes,  as  well  as 
the  simpler  inhabitants  of  the  country  shared  his  hospitality 
and  sang  his  praises. 

To  this  delightful  spot  he  made  his  way  soon  after  his 
appointment  to  the  Bench  and  here  he  found  himself  sur- 
rounded by  friends  who  expressed  their  welcome  in  an 
affectionate  address.  They  congratulated  him  upon  his 
recent  appointment,  they  alluded  to  the  various  offices  he 
had  filled  at  home  and  abroad,  and  in  reference  to  their 
being  sometimes  the  gift  of  the  people  and  sometimes  the 
gift  of  the  sovereign,  they  observed  how  acceptably  he  had 
discharged  his  duties  alike  to  Queen  and  subject,  and  finally 
they  alluded  to  the  crowning  act  of  his  public  career,  when 
the  Assembly,  no  longer  permitted  to  elect  him  to  their  chair, 
had  passed  the  encomium,  to  which  we  have  referred,  on  his 
conduct  while  at  their  head.    They  expressed  the  hope  that 

388 


GENERAL  INFORMATION 


his  new  position  would  enable  him  to  spend  more  of  his 
time  among  them. 

His  reply  was  in  the  affectionate  strain  proper  to  the  oc- 
casion. He  concluded  it  by  telling  them  the  kind  welcome 
they  had  given  him  cemented  the  attachments  which  made 
the  charm  of  social  life  among  the  people  with  whom,  or 
whose  fathers,  his  boyhood  had  been  spent.  He  was  always 
received  with  delight.  Those  who  did  not  know  him  per- 
sonally knew  him  well  by  the  stories  that  were  told  at  the 
hearthstones  of  their  parents.  Wherever  he  went  he  was 
received  with  the  greatest  cordiality. 

It  was  his  delight  to  take  little  excursions  in  the  neigh- 
borhood, making  up  a  party  and  driving  to  a  sequestered 
spot,  where  a  pleasant  stroll  could  be  had  or  a  picnic  par- 
taken by  a  running  stream  or  in  a  shady  grove.  On  these 
occasions  his  whole  heart  was  in  the  excursions.  He  talked 
and  laughed  and  told  stories  and  made  jokes  about  anything 
and  everything.  The  incidents  of  an  afternoon  drive  might 
be  of  the  tamest  and  dullest  character,  but  when  he  returned 
home  and  had  occasion  to  narrate  to  others  who  were  not  of 
the  party  what  occurred,  he  would  clothe  the  event  in  such 
a  ludicrous  garb,  and  that,  too,  without  varying  from  the 
strictness  of  fact,  that  he  convulsed  with  laughter  not  only 
his  new  auditors  but  also  the  very  persons  who  had  been 
witnesses  of  the  events,  but  who  had  certainly  been  un- 
conscious of  their  absurdity  till  they  heard  him  tell  the  story. 
It  was  this  marvellous  capacity  of  extracting  fun  out  of  any- 
thing and  everything  which  made  him  so  charming  a  com- 
panion. When  he  told  a  story  it  was  a  perfect  play.  He 
looked  the  character  he  personated,  having  such  a  marvellous 
command  of  face  that  he  could  in  an  instant  put  on  the 
features  and  air  of  the  person  he  was  talking  about.  He 
could  use  the  exact  dialect  and  voice,  and  the  imperson- 

389 


HOME-MAKING  AND  ITS  PHILOSOPHY 


ation  was  so  perfect,  and  the  effect  so  irresistible,  that  every- 
body was  carried  away  with  it.  We  doubt  if  ever  a  better 
story  teller  existed  in  Nova  Scotia.  He  seldom  told  the  same 
story  twice,  at  all  events  not  to  the  same  audience.  He  had 
a  most  marvellous  repertory  of  odd  things  and  many  of  the 
best  of  them  found  their  way  into  the  pages  of  Mr.  Slick, 
who  appreciated  and  appropriated  them. 

An  instance  occurred  at  his  own  table  in  Halifax  which 
showed  the  wonderful  power  of  his  stories.  At  his  dinner 
table  were  gathered  about  a  dozen  gentlemen  who  were  his 
special  friends.  Soon  the  cheer  began  to  be  felt.  Joke 
followed  joke,  queer  story  after  story  was  told.  Mr.  Archi- 
bald took  his  full  share,  laughed  at  other  people's  jokes,  and 
made  them  laugh  in  return,  till  at  last  he  hit  upon  a  story 
so  absurd  and  ludicrous  and  told  it  in  a  way  so  utterly  ir- 
resistible that  the  guests  were  seized  with  convulsions  of 
laughter  so  uncontrollable  that  not  one  of  them  could  retain 
his  seat.  By  a  simultaneous  movement  the  whole  party 
were  on  their  feet  in  a  perfect  ecstacy  of  excitement.  But 
this  was  in  his  younger  days,  or  at  all  events  before  advancing 
years  and  shattered  health  had  sobered  his  wit  to  more 
decorous  tones. 99 

Charles  Dickson  Archibald,  F.R.S.,  F.S.A.,  M.R.I.,  of 
Rusland  Hall,  County  Lancaster  and  Gresford,  North  Wales, 
was  born  at  Truro  October  31,  1802;  married  September 
18,  1832,  Bridget,  only  child  and  heiress  of  Myles  Walker, 
Esq.,  of  Rusland  Hall,  and  has  surviving  issue:  Charles 
William,  born  July  19,  1838;  Elizabeth  Jane  and  Victoria 
Louisa.  Mr.  Archibald  is  a  magistrate  and  deputy-lieu- 
tenant for  the  County  of  Lancaster. 

The  family  of  Archibald  has  been  established  for  cen- 
turies in  Ireland. 

Samuel  Archibald,  Esq.,  of  Coleraine,  County  London- 

39° 


GENERAL  INFORMATION 


derry,  son  of  David  Archibald,  Esq.,  of  Coleraine,  married 
Rachel,  daughter  of  James  Duncan,  Esq.,  of  Haverhill, 
Massachusetts,  and  was  father  of  Samuel  George  William, 
LL.D.,  her  Majesty's  Attorney  and  Advocate  General, 
speaker  of  the  Assembly,  of  the  province  of  Nova  Scotia, 
who  married  first  in  1802  Elizabeth,  daughter  of  Charles 
Dickson,  Esq.,  of  Onslow,  and  by  her  had  issue:  Charles 
Dickson,  now  of  Rusland  Hall.  He  married  again  in  1832, 
Joanna,  widow  of  W.  Brinley,  Esq. 

Arms:  Argent  on  a  bend  between  three  estoiles  ax.,  three 
crescents  of  the  field,  all  within  a  bordure  engrailed  sable. 
Crest:  A  palm  branch  proper.  Motto:  Palma  non  sine 
pulvere.  Estates  in  Lancashire  and  Denbighshire.  Seats: 
Rusland  Hall,  County  Lancaster;  Gresford,  North  Wales. 

John  Archibald,  second,  was  son  of  Samuel  Archibald, 
Senior,  and  Eleanor  Taylor,  born  in  the  year  1747.  He  was 
fifteen  years  of  age  when  they  came  to  Nova  Scotia.  He 
was  one  of  the  grantees  of  Truro  township  at  the  age  of 
eighteen.  His  wife,  Margaret,  was  a  daughter  of  William 
Fisher  and  Eleanor  Archibald,  born  1747,  married  March  4, 
1772.  He  and  his  brother  built  the  mills  on  the  river  at 
Truro.  His  wife  died  May  12,  1809,  aged  sixty-two  years. 
His  second  marriage  was  to  Hannah,  daughter  of  James 
Archibald.  He  died  October  15,  18 13,  leaving  six  sons  and 
two  daughters.  His  father,  Samuel  Archibald,  Senior,  left 
four  sons  and  four  daughters. 

Samuel  Burke  Archibald,  who  came  to  Musquodoboit 
in  1797,  was  son  of  John  Archibald,  second,  and  grandson 
of  Samuel  Archibald,  Senior,  of  Truro. 

Hon.  Sir  Thomas  Dickson  Archibald,  third,  surviving 
son  of  the  late  Hon.  Samuel  George  William  Archibald, 
LL.D.,  Master  of  Rolls  and  Judge  of  the  Court  of  Vice  Ad- 
miralty, Nova  Scotia,  born  1817,  educated  at  Dalhousie 

391 


HOME-MAKING  AND  ITS  PHILOSOPHY 


College,  Halifax,  and  at  Pictou  Academy,  Nova  Scotia. 
Called  to  the  bar  at  Middle  Temple,  1852,  having  previously 
for  eight  years  practised  as  a  special  pleader;  joined  the 
Northern  circuit,  was  counsel  to  the  Treasury  from  1868  to 
1872,  appointed  in  Nova  Scotia  in  1872  as  one  of  the  justices 
of  the  Court  of  Queen's  Bench,  and  in  February,  1875,  a 
justice  of  the  Common  Pleas,  and  is  now  a  judge  of  the  High 
Court  of  Justice,  Common  Pleas  Division.  Married  in 
1841  Sarah,  only  daughter  of  the  late  Richard  Smith,  Esq., 
of  the  Priory,  Dudley  County. 


392 


CHAPTER  II 


HON.  SIR  ADAMS  GEORGE  ARCHIBALD,  C.M.G. 

HON.  Sir  Adams  George  Archibald,  K.C.M.G.,  1885; 
C.M.G.,  1872;  Q.C.,  D.C.L.,  of  Halifax  and  of  "The 
Cottage/' Truro,  was  born  at  Truro  May  18,  1814; 
called  to  the  bar  in  Prince  Edward  Island  1838,  and  in  Nova 
Scotia  1839;  Q.C.  1 856;  Solicitor-General  of  Nova  Scotia  1856 
to  1857;  Attorney-General  i860  to  1863;  sworn  of  the  Privy 
Council  of  Canada  1867;  Secretary  of  State  for  the  province 
of  Nova  Scotia,  1867  to  1868;  Lieutenant-Governor  of  Mani- 
toba 1870  to  1873;  Judge  in  Equity  of  Nova  Scotia  1873; 
Lieutenant-Governor  of  Nova  Scotia  1873-83.  Married  at 
Truro  June  1,  1843,  Elizabeth,  daughter  of  Rev.  John  Burn- 
yeat,  rector  of  the  parish  of  St.  John,  Colchester  County  (who 
died  in  1843  at  ms  residence,  "The  Cottage/'  Truro),  and 
by  her  had  issue:  Adams  George,  born  May  29,  1847;  died 
October  19,  1861.  Joanna  Archibald,  born  May  29,  1844; 
married  H.  D.  Laurie,  Esq.,  of  New  Glasgow,  Nova  Scotia, 
civil  engineer.  Elizabeth  Alice,  born  November  16,  1851; 
married  the  Right  Rev.  Llewellyn  Jones,  Bishop  of  New- 
foundland and  Bermuda,  of  St.  Johns,  Newfoundland, 
and  Bermuda.    Mary  Lavinia,  born  September  13,  1862. 

Address  by  his  honor,  the  Lieutenant-Governor  of  Nova 
Scotia — the  Honorable  Adams  George  Archibald,  C.  M.  G., — 
a  son  of  Truro,  on  occasion  of  her  natal  celebration,  1882: 
"In  the  lives  of  all  of  us  the  recurrence  of  a  birthday  is  a 
subject  of  interest.  To  some,  the  day  is  a  season  of  solemn 
thought;  to  others  it  is  only  an  occasion  of  merriment. 
Some  feel  the  return  of  the  day  as  a  reminder  that  another 
year  has  passed  away,  and  they  ask  themselves  how  they 
have  spent  it.  Others,  welcoming  the  anniversary  as  an 
excuse  for  a  little  extra  indulgence,  seek  enjoyment  without 

393 


HOME-MAKING  AND  ITS  PHILOSOPHT 


reflection  on  the  past,  or  thought  of  the  future.  But  in  what- 
ever aspect  we  view  it — be  tone  or  temper  of  the  mind  what 
it  may,  few  persons  regard  the  day  with  indifference,  and  we 
may  say  of  these  few,  that  they  are  not,  as  a  rule,  of  the  class 
that  commands  the  respect  or  esteem  of  their  fellows.  Some- 
thing like  the  interest  that  belongs  to  the  birthday  of  an 
individual  attaches  to  the  natal  day  of  every  country,  city,  or 
town.  The  feeling  in  this  case  should  be  shared  by  all  the 
inhabitants  or  citizens.  The  natal  day  has  in  it  less  of  the 
selfish  than  the  individual  birthday,  but  it  resembles  it  in 
this  respect,  that  those  who  have  no  share  in  the  feeling, 
are  not  apt  to  stand  high  in  the  respect  and  esteem  of  the 
community  in  which  they  reside. 

"In  the  old  world,  as  a  rule,  the  natal  day  is  not  observed 
as  it  is  on  this  continent.  There  the  origin  of  nations,  of 
cities,  and  of  towns  is  buried  in  obscurity.  No  man  can  tell 
what  was  the  first  step  taken  in  the  ages  of  barbarism  to 
settle  a  country  or  to  found  a  town.  Thick  darkness  broods 
over  these  early  beginnings.  On  this  continent  it  is  other- 
wise. Everything  here  has  been  done  within  historical 
times.  It  has  been  done  in  broad  day.  The  press  and  the 
school  defy  oblivion.  In  speaking  of  these  things  we  are 
in  the  region  of  fact. 

"The  natal  day  of  every  place  on  this  continent — the 
day  on  which  the  solitude  of  the  wilderness  comes  to  be  dis- 
turbed— the  day  on  which  civilized  man  for  the  first  time 
obtrudes  on  the  domain  of  the  savage,  is  the  turning  point 
in  the  history  of  the  place.  For  countless  ages  the  soil  has 
been  roamed  over,  but  never  occupied.  The  products  of 
nature  are  those  only  which  grow  spontaneously.  The  wild 
animals  which  yield  to  the  savage  his  sport  and  his  support, 
are  like  himself  wanderers  on  the  soil;  but  the  time  has  ar- 
rived in  the  order  of  Providence  when  the  land  is  no  longer 

394 


HON.  SIR  ADAMS  GEORGE  ARCHIBALD 


to  lie  waste.  It  has  hitherto  been  but  a  place  of  transit, 
it  is  now  to  be  a  possession.  The  laws  of  nature,  which  have 
hitherto  done  all,  are  now  to  do  only  part.  The  earth  is  to 
yield  its  increase  still  but  of  what  nature  that  increase  shall 
be  is  settled  by  the  hand  of  man.  Forests  are  to  give  place 
to  fields,  huts  to  houses.  The  horse  and  the  ox  are  to  sup- 
plant the  bear  and  the  loup-cervier.  The  stationary  is  to 
take  the  place  of  the  nomadic.  Hitherto  the  products  of 
nature  are  those  which  she  has  yielded  of  her  own  accord, 
as  the  accidents  of  wind  or  water,  of  growth  or  decay,  of 
clime  or  season  may  have  determined.  Now  her  energies 
are  to  be  guided  and  directed.  She  is  henceforth  to  produce 
what  man  exacts  from  her.  Year  by  year  he  casts  seed  into 
her  bosom  and  calls  with  confidence  for  a  return  of  the  same, 
with  ample  increase. 

"This  eventful  day  in  the  history  of  Truro  dates  back 
near  a  century  and  a  quarter.  It  is  something  over  one 
hundred  and  twenty-one  years  since  the  first  British  settlers 
penetrated  to  this  place  with  the  intention  of  making  it  their 
home.  We  do  not  take  into  account  the  evanescent  visit 
of  the  French  Acadians.  Their  occupation,  such  as  it  was, 
hardly  extended  to  uplands  or  to  forests.  The  entire  ex- 
tent of  the  cleared  land  in  all  Truro  did  not  exceed  one 
hundred  acres.* 

"Small  patches  of  clearing  there  must  have  been,  for 
houses  and  gardens,  but  beyond  these  no  encroachment 
appears  to  have  been  made  on  the  forest.  What  was  done 
in  the  way  of  agricultural  occupation,  had  reference  to  the 
marshes.  A  few  embankments,  some  of  them  not  a  mile 
from  the  spot  we  stand  on,  remain  to  this  day  to  bear  wit- 
ness that  some  effort  had  been  made  to  shut  out  the  tides 
from  the  higher  mud  flats. 

*See  report  of  Surveyor-General  Morris  to  Lieutenant-Governor  Belcher,  inclosed  by  the 
former  to  the  Lords  of  Plantations  in  a  despatch  dated  nth  January,  1762. 

395 


HOME-MAKING  AND  ITS  PHILOSOPHY 


"The  Acadian  French  had  gradually  extended  their 
settlements  eastwardly  from  their  headquarters  at  Port 
Royal.  They  had  spread  along  the  little  streams  which 
fall  into  the  Bay  of  Fundy.  They  had  made  settlements 
at  Minas  and  Pisiquid,  and  had  gradually  penetrated  to 
Cobequid  to  a  place  a  few  miles  below  what  is  now  Truro. 
There  they  had  erected  a  house  of  worship,  from  which  the 
adjoining  water  was  called  Cove  d'  Eglise.  This  name, 
by  a  liberal  Protestant  translation,  has  adhered  to  the  place. 
The  settlement  is  called  Mass  Town  to  this  day.  Some 
Acadians,  continuing  the  progressive  settlement  eastwardly, 
had,  about  this  time,  moved  further  up  the  Bay  to  this  part 
of  what  was  then  known  as  Cobequid.  Then  came  the  cruel 
edict  of  September  5,  1755,  which  banished  the  whole 
Acadian  race  from  home  and  country  and  scattered  them  as 
wanderers  in  the  old  British  colonies,  among  a  people  who, 
to  them,  were  heretics  in  creed  and  aliens  in  race. 

"How  many  of  these  people  had  settled  in  Truro  proper, 
we  have  no  means  now  of  knowing.  It  would  appear  by 
an  enumeration  of  the  French  inhabitants  quoted  by  Sur- 
veyor-General Morris  in  a  report  of  his  made  just  pre- 
viously to  the  expulsion  of  the  race,  that  between  Isgonish 
(or  as  it  was  then  called,  Chaganois),  and  the  head  of  Cobe- 
quid Basin,  which  he  states  as  a  distance  of  two  leagues, 
there  were  twenty  families.  Of  this  section,  what  is  now 
Truro  was  the  most  remote  part,  but  assuming  the  twenty 
families  to  be  equally  dispersed  over  Lower  and  Upper 
Onslow,  Bible  Hill,  the  Upper  and  Lower  Village  of  Truro, 
and  Old  Barns,  it  would  give  to  each  of  these  places  an  aver- 
age of  less  than  four  families.  A  country  with  inhabitants 
so  scattered,  and  they  just  entering  upon  the  lands,  can 
scarcely  be  said  to  have  been  settled  at  all.  They  must 
have  had  some  houses,  such  as  they  were,  but  these  were 

396 


HON.  SIR  ADAMS  GEORGE  ARCHIBALD 


probably  destroyed  when  the  people  were  driven  away. 

"At  all  events,  six  years  afterwards,  when  the  British 
settlers  came  there  were  no  vestiges  of  houses  to  be  found 
within  a  range  of  many  miles  from  this  spot.  Two  barns, 
indeed,  were  still  standing,  a  fact  which  is  perpetuated 
in  the  title  of  'Old  Barns,'  so  long  applied  to  the  part  of 
Truro  where  the  buildings  stood.  This  name,  with  its 
historic  value,  remained  till  some  restless  innovator  arose 
in  the  settlement  and  succeeded  in  burying  it  under  the  new- 
fangled title  of  'Clifton.' 

"After  the  expulsion  of  the  Acadian  French,  many  of 
these  people  who  had  escaped  to  the  woods,  or  had  returned 
from  exile,  were  found  to  be  hovering  around  their  old 
homes — a  circumstance  which  occasioned  much  alarm  to 
the  local  government  of  the  day. 

"At  this  time  Cape  Breton  belonged  to  France,  and  the 
governors  of  the  island  were  constantly  plotting  against  the 
peace  of  Nova  Scotia,  using  the  Acadians  and  the  Indians 
as  their  instruments.  The  route  lay  between  Tatama- 
gouche  and  the  upper  waters  of  the  bay.  A  short  portage 
between  the  sources  of  the  Waugh  River  and  of  the  Chaga- 
nois,  as  it  was  called,  was  all  that  impeded  the  passage  of 
canoes  between  Cape  Breton  and  the  Bay  of  Fundy.  By 
this  route,  and  by  the  Shubenacadie  Lakes,  an  expedition 
was  projected  against  Halifax,  when  that  town  was  only  a 
few  years  in  existence,  which,  if  it  had  been  as  vigorously 
carried  out  as  it  was  ingeniously  planned,  might  have  had 
a  disastrous  effect  upon  the  infant  colony. 

"The  alarm  felt  by  the  local  government  appears  to 
have  extended  to  England,  and  to  have  given  rise  to  the 
policy  then  adopted,  of  having  the  vacant  lands  settled  by 
a  race  of  Protestants  who  had  no  injuries  to  avenge,  and  who 
might  be  counted  on  as  loyal  subjects  to  the  crown.  Very 

397 


HOME-MAKING  AND  ITS  PHILOSOPHY 


considerable  sums  of  money  were  expended  by  the  imperial 
government  in  this  service.  Special  inducements  were 
offered  to  immigrants,  such  as  transports  to  the  province, 
grants  of  cleared  lands,  and  aid  in  the  first  years  of  settle- 
ment. In  this  way  in  the  year  1760  were  settled  Granville 
and  Cornwallis,  Annapolis,  Horton  and  Falmouth.  Early 
in  1 76 1  Newport  was  settled,  and  in  the  latter  part  of  the 
month  of  May  of  that  year  a  body  of  immigrants  landed  in 
this  township,  and  another  in  Onslow.  The  intervening 
lands  between  Newport  and  Truro  on  one  side  of  the  bay, 
and  between  Onslow  and  Economy  on  the  other,  were  left 
for  subsequent  years. 

"The  first  settlers  at  Truro  consisted  of  fifty-three 
families,  comprising  in  all  one  hundred  and  twenty  souls. 
They  had  come  originally  from  the  north  of  Ireland,  having 
first  immigrated  to  New  Hampshire.  After  a  short  stay 
there,  hearing  of  the  inducements  to  settle  in  this  province, 
they  agreed  to  come  on  to  Truro,  under  the  guidance  of 
Colonel  M.  Nutt,  who,  for  several  years,  was  extensively 
engaged  in  carrying  out  the  projects  of  the  British  Govern- 
ment for  settling  the  province.  The  immigrants  had  with 
them  one  hundred  and  seventeen  head  of  cattle,  their  farm- 
ing implements  and  household  utensils,  together  with  seed- 
corn  and  potatoes.  Government  supplied  the  transport. 
The  voyage  from  New  England  was  tedious.  The  ships 
were  detained  by  contrary  winds  and  it  was  well  on  to  the 
end  of  May  before  they  arrived  at  this  place. 

"We  can  have  no  difficulty  in  picturing  to  ourselves  the 
scene  presented  to  the  eyes  of  the  newcomers.  The  dykes 
built  by  the  Acadians  were  broken.  The  tide  had  resumed 
its  sway  over  the  muddy  expanse  which  extended  west- 
wardly  from  the  Lower  Ford,  so  called.  One  vast  sheet  of 
dreary  mud  flats  extended  from  the  intervales  of  the  Salmon 

398 


HON.  SIR  ADAMS  GEORGE  ARCHIBALD 


and  North  rivers  all  the  way  down  to  Savage's  Island. 
Above,  to  the  east,  all  was  wilderness.  The  lovely  meadows, 
which  now  form  so  fine  a  feature  of  the  scenery  on  North 
and  Salmon  rivers,  were  then  covered  with  the  virgin  forest, 
of  which  a  few  elms  only  now  survive.  From  either  side 
of  the  bay,  the  flats  on  the  opposite  shore  were  skirted  by 
a  forest  which  extended  away  as  far  as  the  eye  could  reach, 
till  the  tops  of  the  trees  on  the  hills  were  outlined  on  the  sky. 
The  flats  were  unsightly  objects,  but  they  furnished  the 
material  for  splendid  hay  grounds,  when  reclaimed  from 
the  tide;  but  this  involved  labor,  and  much  of  it.  The  forest 
afforded  a  fine  sight,  but,  to  the  new  settler's  eye,  the  sight 
of  fields  was  much  finer;  and  before  a  forest  could  become  a 
field,  there  was  much  work  to  be  done.  But  our  ancestors 
did  not  come  here  to  be  charmed  with  the  sight  of  forests, 
or  disgusted  with  that  of  mud  flats.  They  had  work  to  do 
that  left  little  room  or  time  for  mere  sentiment.  First  their 
seed  was  to  be  put  in  the  ground.  The  season  was  already 
late  enough,  but  before  they  could  prepare  such  ground  as 
was  above  the  tide  level  and  free  of  forest,  for  a  crop,  the 
season  was  far  advanced.  Then  a  great  drouth  occurred. 
The  seed  sown  in  dry  ground  was  followed  by  a  crop  which 
made  its  feeble  appearance  on  the  surface  only  to  be  withered 
by  a  fiery  sun.  Later  on  came  severe  frosts.  The  crop 
was  largely  a  failure  and  the  stout  hearts  of  the  settlers 
must  have  quailed  when  they  thought  of  the  coming  winter 
and  how  little  preparation  they  had  been  able  to  make  for  it, 
but  they  had  no  time  to  repine.  They  had  now  their  houses 
to  build.  Fortunately  this  was  not  a  tedious  business.  A 
few  trees  chopped  down  and  cut  into  lengths,  then  hewed 
and  piled  on  each  other,  gave  the  four  walls  required.  Poles 
surmounted  with  bark  made  a  roof,  places  for  windows  and 
doors  were  sawed  in  the  walls,  and  a  chimney  was  soon  im- 

399 


HOME-MAKING  AND  ITS  PHILOSOPHY 


provised.  A  square  framework  of  sticks,  plastered  inside 
with  mud,  gave  all  the  flue  that  was  required,  while  a  huge 
opening  below  offered  a  fireplace  large  enough  to  warm 
and  light  the  apartments  with  logs  felled  at  the  door.  Fod- 
der for  the  cattle  during  the  winter  was  secured  by  mowing 
and  curing  the  salt  grass  which  grew  on  the  higher  mud 
flats.  When  this  was  safely  stacked*  the  settlers  went  to 
work  to  repair  the  old  French  dykes.  Fortunately  for  them 
the  remnants  of  the  dykes  were  there  to  show  them  the  nature 
of  the  work  to  be  done  They  had  had  no  experience  in 
their  old  home  of  the  devices  required  to  draw  sustenance 
from  land  below  the  level  of  the  sea,  and  must  have  spent 
much  unnecessary  labor,  as  indeed  did  the  French  before 
them,  in  erecting  the  immense  mounds  which,  in  those  days, 
were  thought  necessary  to  ward  off  the  tide.  However, 
stout  hearts  and  strong  arms  they  had,  and,  with  the  old  dykes 
repaired  and  secured,  they  could,  notwithstanding  their  loss 
of  crop,  look  forward  with  hope  to  the  next  season  when  the 
seed  could  be  sown  in  due  time.  Meanwhile  the  govern- 
ment had  come  to  their  relief  and  had  lent  them  six  hundred 
bushels  of  corn  to  tide  them  over  the  winter,  to  be  repaid  at 
a  future  day  if  demanded.  This  was  at  the  rate  of  five 
bushels  per  head  of  the  inhabitants  and  was  a  most  season- 
able aid. 

"We  need  not  pursue  the  further  history  of  the  infant 
settlement.  The  people  were  industrious,  frugal  and  honest, 
and  soon  throve,  as  men  with  these  qualities  will  always 
thrive. 

"We  catch  a  cheerful  glimpse  of  the  young  community, 
as  it  existed  five  years  afterwards,  from  a  letter  of  the  Lieu- 
tenant-Governor of  the  day,  sent  to  the  Secretary  of  State. 
He  writes : 

*See  Governor  Belcher's  letter  to  the  Lords  of  Plantations  under  date  of  November  1761. 

4OO 


HON.  SIR  ADAMS  GEORGE  ARCHIBALD 


"  'The  townships  of  Truro,  Onslow,  and  Londonderry, 
consisting  in  the  whole  of  six  hundred  and  sixty-four  men, 
women  and  children,  composed  of  people  chiefly  from  the 
north  of  Ireland,  make  all  their  own  linen  and  even  some 
little  to  spare  to  the  neighboring  towns.  This  year  they 
raised  seven  thousand  five  hundred  and  twenty-four  pounds 
of  flax,  which  will  probably  be  worked  up  in  the  several  fam- 
ilies during  the  winter.' 

"It  is  worth  while  quoting  an  additional  passage  from 
this  despatch  to  show  how  the  government  of  that  day  re- 
garded the  policy  of  promoting  domestic  manufactures 
among  our  people.  Governor  Francklyn,  after  stating  how 
busily  the  people  were  employed  in  the  art  which  they  had 
probably  brought  with  them  from  the  great  seat  of  the  flax 
industry  in  the  north  of  Ireland,  apparently  fearful  that 
the  jealousy  of  British  manufacturers  might  be  aroused, 
goes  on  apologetically  to  say:  'This  government  has  at  no 
time  given  encouragement  to  manufacturers,  which  could 
interfere  with  those  of  Great  Britain,  nor  has  there  been  the 
least  appearance  of  any  association  of  private  persons  for 
that  purpose;  nor  are  there  any  persons  who  profess  them- 
selves weavers,  so  as  to  make  it  their  employment  or  business, 
but  only  work  at  it  in  their  own  families  during  the  winter 
and  other  leisure  hours.' 

"The  discouragement  of  local  manufactures  indicated 
by  the  passage  we  have  quoted  is  in  as  marked  contrast  with 
the  national  policy  of  to-day,  as  is  this  large  crop  of  flax, 
being  at  the  rate  of  almost  twelve  pounds  per  head  of  the 
population,  with  the  production  of  the  plant  now.  The 
quantity  of  flax  dressed  in  the  whole  county  of  Colchester 
at  this  day,  with  its  twenty-three  thousand  people,  and  after 
the  lapse  of  a  century,  is  little  more  than  what  was  manu- 
factured by  these  settlements  then  not  over  five  years  old, 

401 


HOME-MAKING  AND  ITS  PHILOSOPHT 


with  a  population  not  amounting  in  all  to  one  thousand. 

"For  three-quarters  of  a  century  after  the  settlement  of 
Truro,  its  material  progress  was  much  the  same  as  that 
which  has  marked  all  the  settlements  organized  on  the  same 
plan.  That  plan  was  to  grant  a  township  to  a  large  number 
of  proprietors,  to  be  held  by  them  in  common,  in  shares,  or 
rights.  Every  share  entitled  the  owner  to  a  house  lot,  a 
farm  lot,  a  wood  lot,  and  a  marsh  lot,  which  were  to  be  as- 
signed to  him  when  the  township  came  afterwards  to  be 
divided  among  the  shareholders.  In  the  first  instance  the 
settlers  selected  their  own  house  lots  and  front  lots,  accord- 
ing to  fancy,  convenience,  or  mutual  agreement.  When 
the  partition  afterwards  took  place,  the  possession  so  taken 
was  respected,  and  such  lands  formed  part  of  the  lots  as- 
signed to  the  occupant  in  respect  of  his  share.  This  ar- 
rangement was  favorable  to  the  formation  of  villages  on 
the  front,  but  prejudicial  to  the  settlement  of  the  back  lands. 
These  latter  were  held  for  wood  lots  only,  and  were  con- 
sidered of  little  value  except  for  fuel.  Belonging  to  farmers 
with  abundance  of  other  lands,  with  fine  intervales  and 
marshes  on  their  front  lots,  they  were  not  in  the  market  for 
sale,  and  it  was  a  long  time  before  even  a  few  of  them  found 
their  way  into  the  hands  of  strangers  and  came  to  be  cleared 
and  cultivated  as  farms.  The  change  in  the  appearance 
of  Truro  therefore,  for  a  long  time  after  its  settlement,  was 
mainly  in  the  line  of  fields  extended,  of  additional  marsh 
enclosed,  and  of  better  buildings  erected. 

"The  properties,  as  originally  assigned  on  partition, 
remained  very  much  in  the  same  families,  and  even  where  a 
farm  changed  hands,  the  new  owner  held  by  the  original 
boundary  lines  and  possessed  the  same  farm  as  his  pre- 
decessor. This  is  observable  still  in  some  parts  of  the  town- 
ship which   are  exclusively   agricultural.    The  adjoining 

402 


HON.  SIR  ADAMS  GEORGE  ARCHIBALD 


village  of  Onslow,  which  was  settled  in  the  same  vear  and 
under  the  same  conditions,  is  wholly  agricultural,  and  the 
front  lands,  as  seen  in  driving  down  the  road  on  the  Bav 
Shore,  appear  mainly  to  be  held  by  original  boundary  lines. 

'''I  have  from  memory  made  a  map  of  the  Truro  of  fortv 
years  ago,  marking  the  houses  then  standing.  Haliburton 
in  his  history  states  that  there  were  in  1S3S  about  seventy 
houses  in  the  Upper  and  Lower  \  illages.  How  sparse  and 
scattered  they  were  may  be  gathered  from  what  appears  on 
my  map.  Prince  Street  was  then  a  road  with  cradle  hills 
still  on  it.  Xo  vehicle  less  solid  than  a  cart  could  travel 
over  it.  Queen  Street,  which  was  then  called  Front  Street, 
had  only  seven  houses  from  the  river  bridge  to  the  common. 
In  point  of  fact,  however,  old  Truro  was  not  the  Truro  of 
to-day.  Truro  then  meant,  in  common  parlance,  that  part 
of  the  village  which  lay  to  the  north  of  the  river.  On  Bible 
Hill,  as  it  was  called,  were  the  principal  hotels — one  on  each 
side  of  the  street.  There  were  the  public  offices,  the  registry 
of  deeds,  the  custom  house,  the  offices  of  judge  and  regis- 
trar of  probate.  There  was  the  post  office,  and  there  for  a 
long  time  stood  the  court  house.  From  Witter's  Hotel, 
there  situate,  ran  the  stage  coaches  which  connected  us 
with  the  capital  and  Pictou.  There  were  the  offices  of  the 
lawyers  practising  in  the  county.  There  too  was  the  Holy 
~V\  ell,  consecrated  in  French  Acadian  times.  After  the 
English  came  it  was  at  this  fount  that  generations  of  lawyers, 
while  attending  the  court,  which  generally  lasted  a  week 
each  sitting,  slaked  every  morning  the  thirst  born  of  the  ex- 
haustive festivities  of  the  previous  evening,  which  distin- 
guished those  days.  There,  too,  was  the  Free  Masons' 
Hall,  which  preceded  temperance  organizations,  and  had, 
perhaps,  something  to  do  with  creating  the  necessity  for 
such  societies.    Then  there  was  the  Bachelors'  Hall,  where 

403 


HOME-MAKING  AND  ITS  PHILOSOPHY 


some  eight  or  ten  young  men  lived  together — lawyers, 
doctors  and  merchants — many  of  whom  afterwards  achieved 
distinction,  though  at  the  time  they  were  noted  more  for  the 
pranks  and  diversions  and  frolics  which  belong  to  youth, 
than  for  the  more  solid  qualities  of  men  of  business.  Thus 
the  society  of  Truro  was  all  on  Bible  Hill.  There  was  one 
thing  to  add  to  its  luster.  At  that  part  of  the  town  was  the 
residence  of  the  great  man,  not  of  Truro  only,  nor  of  Col- 
chester, but  of  the  whole  province.  He  was  our  representa- 
tive in  the  Assembly  from  1806  to  1841,  and  during  that 
period  wielded  a  power  in  the  Legislature  that  has  never 
been  attained  by  any  other  man — before  or  since.  His 
house  stood  on  the  east  side  of  the  road.  The  view  from  the 
front  door,  looking  to  the  west,  across  a  rich  meadow,  studded 
with  lovely  elms,  was  one  of  the  finest  in  the  province,  and 
many  a  gay  company  has  stood  on  the  platform  of  the  old 
portico  of  that  house,  gazing  on  this  beautiful  scene,  now  in 
raptures  with  the  lovely  picture  spread  out  before  them,  now 
moved  to  laughter  by  the  sallies  of  wit  and  humor  which 
issued  from  the  lips  of  the  brilliant  host.  Is  it  any  wonder 
then  that  with  all  these  advantages  and  attractions  Bible 
Hill  was  Truro  'par  excellence'  ?  It  was  fashionable  Truro, 
it  was  official  Truro,  it  was  business  Truro,  it  was  sportive 
Truro.  The  part  of  the  town  which  lay  to  the  south  of  the 
river,  the  part  where  we  are  now  assembled,  was  a  mere 
suburb  of  Truro.  The  Hill,  on  the  first  settlement  of  the 
town,  fell  to  the  lot  of  a  family  of  Archibalds,  who  were 
Presbyterians  of  the  strictest  sort,  and  it  was  probably  the 
sneer  of  the  less  orthodox  and  devout,  who  were  inhabitants 
of  this  side  of  the  river,  that  gave  birth  to  the  name  of  Bible 
Hill,  which  has  stuck  to  it  to  this  day.  But  it  is  almost 
the  only  thing  that  has  stuck  to  it.  The  whirligig  of 
time  has  brought  about  strange  reverses.    Go  there  now 

404 


HON.  SIR  ADAMS  GEORGE  ARCHIBALD 


and  you  will  look  in  vain  for  court  house,  or  registry  of 
deeds  or  of  probates,  for  post  offices  or  mail  coaches,  for 
Masons',  or  Bachelors'  Halls,  for  judges,  or  lawyers,  or  pro- 
thonotaries.  No  great  statesman  resides  there,  the  cynosure 
of  all  eyes.  All  have  disappeared.  Lastly,  and  this  is  the 
strangest  thing  of  all,  when  Truro  came  to  receive  a  mayor 
and  corporation,  Bible  Hill,  so  long  the  only  Truro  known 
to  the  world,  was  actually  left  out  of  the  municipality — 
what  had  been  the  whole  of  Truro  was  no  longer  even  part 
of  it.  'Ichabod'  was  written  over  its  door  posts.  The 
glory  had  departed  from  it. 

"A  fitting  sequel  to  all  these  reverses  remains  to  be  men- 
tioned. The  old  homestead  of  the  great  man  of  earlier 
times  came  into  the  market  a  few  years  ago,  and  was  pur- 
chased by  a  gentleman  who  has  since  built  a  new  house  on 
the  same  site.  The  old  house  was  removed  to  the  opposite 
side  of  the  road,  its  front  wheeled  round  to  the  east,  and 
thus,  as  was  quite  proper  under  the  circumstances,  it  was 
made  to  turn  its  back  on  the  beautiful  scene  on  which  it  had 
gazed  for  over  three-score  years.  Even  the  Holv  Well  has 
become  indignant.  The  fountain,  which  for  ages  had 
poured  forth  a  limpid  stream  that  had  given  comfort  and 
cheer  to  thousands  of  others  besides  thirsty  lawyers,  has 
ceased  to  flow,  or  at  all  events  its  waters  have  become  so 
turbid  and  tainted  that  when  last  I  visited  it,  some  two  years 
ago,  with  a  son  of  the  great  man  I  have  spoken  of,  who  has 
himself  just  received  a  signal  mark  of  the  approbation  of 
his  sovereign,  we  found  the  well  in  such  a  condition  that  we 
did  not  venture  to  taste  its  waters. 

"I  have  spoken  of  the  lovely  view  from  the  front  door  of 
Mr.  Archibald's  residence.  But  that  was  not  then,  nor  is  it 
now,  the  only  charming  scenery  of  which  Truro  can  boast. 
The  hills,  which  surround  the  town  like  an  amphitheater, 

405 


HOME-MAKING  AND  ITS  PHILOSOPHY 


afford  from  their  crests  the  most  varied  and  striking  views. 
Some  fifty  years  ago  when  the  late  Joseph  Howe  was  just 
beginning  a  career  of  great  distinction,  he  wrote  and  pub- 
lished in  his  newspaper,  under  the  head  of 'Eastern  Rambles' 
some  racy  sketches  of  the  scenery  of  this  part  of  the  province. 
I  had  quite  forgotten  the  articles  till,  the  other  day,  on  turn- 
ing over  the  leaves  of  the  'Nova  Scotian'  of  1830  I  stumbled 
upon  them.  One  or  two  extracts  from  them  will  show,  not 
only  how  highly  Mr.  Howe  appreciated  the  beauties  of  Truro, 
but  also  what  a  vigorous  pen  he  wielded,  even  in  those 
early  days  when  his  style  was  comparatively  unformed. 
We  shall  find  in  these  extracts,  abundant  traces  of  the  sound 
sense,  combined  with  the  lively  imagination  and  genuine 
humor  which  distinguished  his  later  productions.  Take 
this  account  of  his  visit  to  the  falls,  about  a  mile  south  from 
the  railway  station.  From  that  day  to  this  the  scene  is 
unchanged.  There  is  not  a  word  of  Mr.  Howe's  eloquent 
description  less  appropriate  at  this  moment  than  it  was  on 
the  day  it  was  written.  No  tourist  should  leave  Truro 
without  a  visit  to  the  spot. 

'Following  up  a  small  stream  which  runs  along  a  nar- 
row strip  of  meadow  that  extends  to  the  rear  of  the  fields 
on  the  southern  side  of  the  village,  as  you  recede  from  the 
cultivation  and  improvements  of  man  and  approach  the 
wilderness  and  primitive  negligence  of  nature,  a  sudden  turn 
to  the  left  shuts  you  out  from  the  softened  and  beautiful 
scene  of  mingled  meadow  and  woodland  and  encloses  you 
between  two  high  ranges  of  land  that  rise  up  on  each  side  of 
you  as  abrupt  and  precipitous  as  the  waves  of  the  Red  Sea 
are  said  to  have  towered  above  the  host  of  Pharaoh.  The 
small  stream  is  still  murmuring  at  your  feet,  and  pursuing 
its  way,  sometimes  over,  and  occasionally  under,  a  luckless 
windfall  that  the  violence  of  some  Borean  gust  has  stretched 

406 


HON.  SIR  ADAMS  GEORGE  ARCHIBALD 


across  its  current.  For  the  distance  of  one  hundred,  per- 
haps one  hundred  and  fifty  yards,  this  ravine  is  highly 
picturesque  and  attractive.  It  keeps  narrowing  as  you  go 
on;  its  sides,  which  are  in  most  places  crowned  with  trees 
and  shrubbery  to  the  very  edge,  offer  most  singular  and 
attractive  combinations,  and  you  find  your  progress  in  some 
places  nearly  impeded  by  the  lower  steps,  so  to  speak,  by 
which  the  waters  descend  from  the  highlands  to  the  quiet 
vale  below.  After  clambering  up  sundry  ledges  and  rural 
staircases  formed  by  the  projecting  points  of  rocks,  old 
stumps,  and  bending  saplings,  and  after  stopping  a  dozen 
times  to  gather  breath  or  admire  the  minor  beauties  which 
claim  a  portion  of  your  notice  ere  you  arrive  at  the  chief 
attraction,  you  come  in  sight  of  a  steep  rock,  which,  having 
been  thrown  across  the  ravine,  has  for  ages  withstood  the 
efforts  of  the  falling  waters  to  push  it  from  its  place  or  wear 
it  away.  From  the  level  of  the  clear  pool  at  its  base  to  the 
summit  over  which  a  narrow  and  beautiful  stream  descends 
may  be  about  fifty  feet. 

"  'Lay  thee  down  upon  that  rock,  my  gentle  traveller, 
which  the  heat  of  the  noonday  has  warmed,  despite  the  cool- 
ness of  the  neighboring  waters,  and  there  with  thy  senses 
half  lulled  to  forgetfulness  by  the  murmurs  of  the  falling 
stream,  thy  eyes  half  closed,  and  thy  spirit  all  unconscious 
of  earthly  turmoils  and  care,  give  thyself  up  to  musing,  for 
never  was  there  a  more  appropriate  spot  than  the  Truro 
Falls  for  our  old  men  to  see  visions  and  our  young  men  to 
dream  dreams.  You  are  as  effectually  shut  out  from  the 
world  as  though,  like  Colonel  Boon,  you  were  at  least  one 
hundred  miles  from  a  human  being,  and,  if  you  are  poetical, 
you  may  weave  rhymes,  if  you  are  romantic  you  may  build 
castles  in  the  air,  and  if  you  be  a  plain,  matter-of-fact  man 
you  may  pursue  your  calculations  by  the  side  of  the  Truro 

407 


HOME-MAKING  AND  ITS  PHILOSOPHY 


Falls  without  the  slightest  danger  of  interruption.  Should 
you  be  advanced  in  years,  my  gentle  traveller,  how  must  you 
sigh  that  time  will  not  allow  you  a  discount  of  twenty  sum- 
mers, and  place  by  your  side  within  the  quiet  shelter  of  this 
beautiful  ravine  the  chosen  deity  of  your  youthful  adora- 
tion. Oh!  would  not  her  accents  of  acknowledged  affection 
mingle  delightfully  with  the  falling  waters  ?  and  would  not 
every  vow  you  uttered  catch  a  solemnity  and  power  from  the 
retired  holiness  of  the  scene  ?  Perhaps  on  that  very  rock 
where  you  recline  many  an  expression  of  pure  and  sinless 
regard  has  burst  from  lips  that,  after  long  refusal,  at  length 
played  the  unconscious  interpreters  to  the  heart.  Many  a 
chaste  and  yet  impassioned  embrace  has  made  eloquent 
acknowledgment  of  all  that  the  young  heart  has  dared  to 
hope;  and  perhaps  we  err  not  when  we  say  that  there  are 
among  our  numerous  readers  many  a  couple,  who,  while 
tasting  the  pleasures  of  the  domestic  circle,  bless  the  balmy 
summer  eve  when  they  first  strayed  to  the  Truro  Falls/ 

"Since  the  day  when  Mr.  Howe  wrote  this  eloquent  and 
beautiful  passage,  who  can  say  how  often  the  fates  of  young 
people  have  been  decided  under  the  soothing  influence  of 
those  descending  waters. 

"As  a  specimen  of  his  composition  on  a  different  theme 
let  us  find  room  for  his  description  of  the  graveyard  which 
stood  in  the  rear  of  the  old  Presbyterian  meeting  house, 
and  which  is  included  within  the  fences  of  the  present 
cemetery. 

"  'The  graveyard/  says  Mr.  Howe,  Mies  immediately 
in  the  rear,  and  see,  my  gentle  traveller,  the  gate  is  half 
unclosed,  as  though  it  would  invite  us  to  pass  through  and 
linger  a  moment  among  the  lowly  beds  of  those  whose  spirits 
have  departed  to  a  better  world.  He  must  have  a  dull  and 
sluggish  soul— who  can  look  without  emotion  on  the  quiet 

408 


HON.  SIR  ADAMS  GEORGE  ARCHIBALD 


graves  of  the  early  settlers  of  this  country — who  can  tread 
upon  their  mouldering  bones  without  a  thought  of  their 
privations  and  their  toils — who  can  from  their  tombs  look 
upon  the  rural  loveliness — the  fruitfulness  and  peace  by 
which  he  is  surrounded,  nor  drop  a  tear  to  the  memories  of 
the  dead,  who  won,  by  the  stoutness  of  their  hearts  and  the 
sweat  of  their  brows,  the  blessings  their  children  have  only 
to  cherish  and  enjoy;  who  plunged  into  the  forest,  not  as  we 
do  now,  for  a  summer  day's  ramble,  or  an  hour  of  tranquil 
musing,  but  to  win  a  home  from  the  ruggedness  of  un- 
cultivated nature,  and  in  despite  of  the  dusky  savage  thirst- 
ing for  his  blood.  Oh!  for  the  muse  of  Gray  to  pour  out  a 
befitting  tribute  to  the  dead.  He  caught  from  the  sanctity 
and  softened  associations  of  an  English  graveyard  an  in- 
spiration that  rendered  him  immortal;  but  the  graves  among 
which  he  stood  were  the  resting-places  of  men  whose  lives 
had  been  tranquil  and  undisturbed;  who  had  grown  up  amidst 
the  fruitfulness  of  a  civilized  and  cultivated  country,  and  had 
enjoyed  the  protection  of  institutions  long  firmly  established, 
and  the  security  and  cheering  influence  of  ancient  usage. 
How  much  deeper  would  have  been  the  tones  of  his  harp 
had  he  stood  where  we  now  stand,  had  he  been  surrounded 
by  the  graves  of  those  who  found  this  country  a  wilderness 
and  left  it  a  garden;  who  pitched  their  tents  among  the  soli- 
tudes of  nature  and  left  to  their  children  her  fairest  charms, 
heightened  by  the  softening  touch  of  art;  who  had  to  build 
up  institutions  as  they  built  up  their  lowly  dwellings,  but 
nevertheless  bequeathed  to  their  descendants  the  security  of 
settled  government,  the  advantages  of  political  freedom,  the 
means  of  moral  and  religious  improvement,  which  they 
labored  to  secure  but  never  lived  to  enjoy.  We  have  no 
abbeys  or  cathedrals  where  our  warriors  and  statesmen  are 
preserved.    We  have  no  monumental  piles  fraught  with  the 

409 


HOME-MAKING  AND  ITS  PHILOSOPHY 


deeds  of  other  days,  to  claim  a  tribute  from  the  passer-by. 
The  lapse  of  ages,  political  vicissitudes,  violent  struggles, 
and  accumulated  wealth  are  necessary  to  the  possession  of 
these;  but  in  every  village  of  our  infant  country  we  have  the 
quiet  graves  of  those  who  subdued  the  wilderness,  who 
beautified  the  land  by  their  toils,  and  left  not  only  the  fruits 
of  their  labors,  but  the  thoughts  and  feelings  which  cheered 
them  in  their  solitude,  to  cheer  and  stimulate  us  amidst  the 
inferior  trials  and  multiplied  enjoyments  of  a  more  advanced 
state  of  society.  May  we,  while  contrasting  the  present 
with  the  past,  never  forget  the  debt  of  gratitude  we  owe,  and 
while  standing  beside  the  humble  graves  of  our  early  settlers, 
may  we  ever  feel  our  spirits  awakened  by  the  recollection 
of  their  lives,  our  thoughts  ennobled  by  the  remembrance 
of  their  trials,  and  our  holiest  and  best  resolves  strengthened 
with  a  portion  of  their  strength.' 

"We  shall  make  but  one  more  extract  from  these  pleasing 
papers.  You  will  recollect  my  allusion  to  the  inmates  of 
Bachelors'  Hall,  their  fun  and  frolics.  The  hall  was  just 
at  the  top  of  the  hill,  as  you  ascend  the  road  from  the  intervale. 
The  river  here  is  fringed  by  a  bank  of  red  sandstone,  which 
extends  from  the  Holy  Well  far  up  the  stream.  It  forms  a 
fine  feature  of  the  scenery  from  the  opposite  side  of  the  river. 
Along  the  slope  of  this  bank  the  bachelors  had  cut  a  path  in 
the  sandstone,  about  halfway  up  between  the  river  edge 
and  the  top  of  the  bank,  and  at  the  end  of  the  path  had  built 
a  spacious  bower.  Here  they  resorted  on  occasions  of 
merriment  or  revelry.  All  this  is  beyond  the  recollection 
even  of  middle-aged  men  of  the  present  day,  but  it  was  quite 
fresh  at  the  time  of  Mr.  Howe's  visit.  Listen  to  his  de- 
scription of  the  place. 

"  '  Extending  due  east  from  the  principal  inns  and  form- 
ing the  southern  termination  of  what  is  called  the  "Hill," 

410 


HON.  SIR  ADAMS  GEORGE  ARCHIBALD 


is  a  very  steep  bank  of  red  clay  which  the  action  of  the  ele- 
ments keeps  continually  wearing  away  and  threatening,  as 
it  were,  to  convert  the  upland  of  the  worthy  proprietors  into 
very  excellent  intervale.    Along  the  sides  and  part  of  the 
brow  of  this  bank  is  a  range  of  trees,  and  beneath  their 
shade  in  times  gone  by,  as  the  village  tradition  goes,  there 
stood  a  rural  bower.    The  deity  to  whom  it  was  dedicated 
we  could  not  with  accuracy  ascertain,  but  certain  it  is  that 
it  used  to  be  the  scene  of  singular  cantrips  and  orgies.  The 
peasantry  who  thereabouts  do  dwell  are  bold  to  declare  that 
of  a  summer  evening  as  they  passed  along,  volumes  of  smoke 
would  be  seen  bursting  from  its  leafy  sides  and  ascending 
in  varied  curls  in  the  balmy  air;  but  whether  it  smelt  of  brim- 
stone or  tobacco  has  to  this  day  remained  a  point  of  doubtful 
settlement  and  given  rise  to  much  rural  and  "nice  argument." 
True  it  is  that  voices  used  to  be  heard,  and  sometimes  a 
ringing  and  tinkling  sound,  like  the  meeting  of  friendly 
glasses,  and  ever  and  anon  there  would  break  forth  from  that 
mystical  bower  the  sounds  of  song,  sometimes  accompanied 
by  instrumental  music,  which  the  credulous  passer-by  took 
for  some  fiendish  scraping,  but  which  the  less  timorous 
believe  to  have  been  the  notes  of  a  violin.    There  were 
many  things  to  strengthen  the  belief  that  hereabouts  did 
dwell  the  very  spirits  of  mischief;  for  it  was  no  uncommon 
thing  for  marvellous  accounts  of  slaughtered  bears  and 
chivalrous  captains  to  be  sent  to  the  Halifax  newspapers 
bearing  date  at  Truro,  and  purporting  to  be  accurate  and 
faithful  narratives  of  heroic  and  daring  exploits;  and  on 
connubial  occasions  a  troop  of  cavalry  would  sometimes 
wheel  up  in  front  of  the  bridal  chamber,  and,  discharging  a 
volley  of  firearms  in  at  the  window,  gallop  off  in  the  twink- 
ling of  a  bedpost;  or  maybe  a  large  standard  would  be  found 
waving  from  some  chimney  top,  like  the  banner  of  some 

411 


HOME-MAKING  AND  ITS  PHILOSOPHY 


feudal  chieftain  from  the  loftiest  battlement  of  his  castle, 
spreading  terror  and  anxiety  around.  But  these  days  are 
passed — the  mad  spirits  who  used  to  play  such  pranks  are 
either  caught  in  traps  matrimonial,  and,  like  the  gentle  Ariel, 
confined  to  the  clefts  of  their  domestic  hollow  trees,  or  are 
scattered  to  other  portions  of  the  provinces,  where  for  want 
of  countenance  and  example  they  are  forced  to  restrain  the 
bent  of  their  humor  and  conform  to  the  even  tenor  of  a  more 
matter-of-fact  existence. 

'The  bower  has  fallen  to  earth;  its  branches  are  scat- 
tered along  the  side  of  the  bank  and  its  leaves  are  dancing 
on  the  breath  of  many  a  breeze,  but  from  its  site  there  is 
decidedly  one  of  the  prettiest  views  of  the  course  of  the 
Salmon  River  that  is  to  be  found  in  the  neighborhood  of 
Truro.' 

"Many  of  the  allusions  in  this  paragraph  will  be  under- 
stood from  what  we  have  said  in  introducing  it,  but  the 
reference  to  'slaughtered  bears  and  chivalrous  captains' 
revives  a  funny  incident  of  those  days.  A  worthy  resident 
of  the  town  had  been  in  some  way  connected  with  military 
affairs  and  called  himself  Captain  Wilson.  This  gentleman 
used  to  tell  marvellous  stories  and  was  himself  generally  the 
hero  of  them.  The  bachelors  of  the  hall  soon  took  his 
measure  and  had  great  delight  in  turning  him  into  ridicule. 
One  day  in  1821  there  appeared  in  the  'Acadian  Recorder' 
a  long  and  circumstantial  account  of  the  killing  of  a  bear 
by  Captain  Wilson,  which  set  the  whole  town  laughing. 
The  captain's  sanguinary  exploits,  so  far  as  he  reported  them, 
had  hitherto  not  extended  to  that  class  of  animals.  When 
the  newspaper  arrived,  the  wags  who  had  concocted  the  story 
naturally  took  care  to  call  on  the  old  man,  one  after  another, 
and  ply  him  with  endless  questions  about  the  time,  the  place, 
the  weight,  the  size,  the  color,  the  length  of  ears  and  tail, 

412 


HON.  SIR  ADAMS  GEORGE  ARCHIBALD 


etc.,  asking  for  the  minutest  particulars.  It  was  in  vain 
that  he  denied  the  story  and  declared  it  to  be  a  hoax.  They 
insisted  on  believing  it  and  pretended  to  impute  his  dis- 
avowal to  modesty.  So  it  went  on  for  a  week  or  two,  when 
out  came,  in  another  issue  of  the  'Recorder/  what  purported 
to  be  an  affidavit  in  contradiction  of  the  story,  sworn  to  by 
the  hero  himself,  and  expressed  in  these  words: 

'I,  Captain  Wilson,  do  declare, 
That  I  have  never  killed  a  bear, 
Either  at  Truro  or  elsewhere/ 

"This  is  one  specimen  of  the  pranks  played  by  the  mad 
wags  of  Bachelors'  Hall  in  those  days,  to  which  allusion  is 
made  in  Mr.  Howe's  article. 

"  While  Bible  Hill  was  steadily  losing  ground,  this  side 
of  the  river  was  steadily  gaining  it.  It  cheerfully  made  room 
for  the  officials,  on  their  exodus  from  the  hill.  Not  only  so, 
but  this  side  of  the  river  now  began  to  feel  the  advantage  of 
its  position,  which  entitled  it  to  expect  an  accession  of  popula- 
tion from  without.  No  better  site  for  a  town  can  be  found 
anywhere  than  our  broad  plateau,  extending  as  it  does  from 
the  bank  at  the  edge  of  the  intervale  southwards,  to  the  base 
of  the  hills,  and  stretching  along  the  river  for  more  than  a 
mile.  Here  was  abundance  of  space,  and  the  ground,  much 
of  which  was  gravel,  afforded  a  foundation  for  buildings  at 
once  solid  and  dry.  These  considerations  had  much  to  do 
with  solving  the  question  where  the  town  should  be.  That 
point  once  settled  the  growth  of  a  town  was  assured.  The 
situation  of  Truro,  in  reference  to  the  rest  of  the  county, 
points  it  out  as  the  proper  site  of  the  chief  town.  It  is  at 
the  head  of  the  navigation  of  the  bay.  It  is  the  center  of  a 
fine  agricultural  county.  From  it  roads  radiate  in  every 
direction — north,  south,  east  and  west — like  the  spokes  of 

4*3 


HOME-MAKING  AND  ITS  PHILOSOPHT 


a.  wheel.  Beginning  north  of  the  bay  and  sweeping  round  in 
a  circle,  we  come  across  first  the  road  to  Onslow  and  London- 
derry, and  all  the  lower  parts  of  the  county.  Then  comes 
the  road  to  Isgonish  and  New  Annan,  then  the  old  road  to 
Tatamagouche,  next  that  to  North  River  and  Earltown, 
then  the  road  to  East  Mountain  and  Salmon  River,  then  one 
to  Greenfield,  then  another  to  Harmony  and  Middle  Stew- 
iacke,  then  one  to  Brookfield  and  Lower  Stewiacke,  and 
finally  we  complete  the  circle  on  arriving  at  the  road  to  Old 
Barns  and  Shubenacadie  on  the  south  side  of  the  bay.  A 
town  occupying  a  position  so  central  could  not  fail  to  prosper 
as  the  county  prospered.  Even  before  the  railways  reached 
us,  Truro  had  made  some  measure  of  progress.  Its  shops 
furnished  the  population  of  the  settlements  on  all  these 
roads  with  the  greater  part  of  their  supplies.  By  and  by 
other  events  occurred,  which  conduced  specially  to  the 
building  up  of  this  part  of  the  town.  First  came  the  erection 
of  the  Normal  School,  on  the  site  where  the  new  building 
now  stands.  Then  a  bridge  at  the  Board  Landing  shortened 
the  distance  to  Onslow  by  three  miles.  It  saved  that  amount 
of  travelling  for  every  person  going  to  the  North.  It  short- 
ened by  so  much  every  trip  of  the  mail  to  New  Brunswick 
and  Canada.  It  was  therefore  a  great  boon  to  the  public. 
But  then,  it  threw  Bible  Hill  in  the  background.  That 
place  was  no  longer  on  the  high  road  to  Canada  and  the  rest 
of  the  continent.  When  finally  the  heart  of  our  fine  plateau 
was  selected  as  the  site  of  the  railway  station,  the  triumph 
of  this  side  of  the  river  was  complete.  Since  then  it  has 
grown  and  prospered  at  a  rate  of  progress  without  a  parallel 
in  the  history  of  our  country  towns.  Happily,  refinement 
and  good  taste  have  kept  pace  with  the  population,  and  we 
may  say  of  Truro  what  can  scarcely  be  said  of  any  other 
town  of  its  size  in  the  province,  that  the  poorest  house  or 

414 


HON.  SIR  ADAMS  GEORGE  ARCHIBALD 


cottage  in  it  has  its  little  garden  patch  in  front,  ornamented 
with  flowers,  and  separated  from  the  street  by  a  neat  paling, 
the  whole  indicating  the  good  taste  and  thrift  of  the  owner, 
and  his  love  of  order  and  neatness, 

"I  have  dwelt  mainly  on  the  material  changes  which 
have  taken  place  in  our  town.  Time  would  fail  me  to 
speak  of  the  efforts  made  in  early  days  to  promote  education 
and  religion  in  the  place.  Much  should  be  said  of  the  labors 
and  devotion  of  the  Rev.  Mr.  Cook,  the  earliest  settled  minister 
of  this  place,  and  of  the  Rev.  Mr.  Waddell,  his  successor. 
From  1770  down  to  the  arrival  of  Rev.  Dr.  McCulloch  in 
1838,  these  men  dispensed  religious  ordinances  to  the  people 
of  Truro.  Thus  three  ministers  have  between  them  bridged 
over  the  long  period  of  over  a  century,  which  has  intervened 
between  the  arrival  of  Rev.  Mr.  Cook  and  the  present  day. 
When  the  Rev.  Dr.  McCulloch  came  among  us,  Truro  was 
in  the  state  of  progress  indicated  by  my  map.  There  was 
then  but  one  Presbyterian  congregation  where  there  are  now 
six. 

"When  all  Truro  worshipped  at  the  old  meeting  house, 
which  stood  on  ground  now  enclosed  within  the  cemetery, 
it  was  a  goodly  sight  to  see  the  people  streaming  from  all 
points  of  the  compass  to  the  house  of  God.  From  Onslow 
and  East  Mountain,  from  Bible  Hill  and  up  the  river,  from 
Halifax  Road,  Lower  Village  and  Old  Barns,  came  the 
gathering — on  foot,  on  horseback — often  two  on  a  horse — 
in  carriages,  such  as  we  have  seen  in  the  procession  to-day — 
of  every  shape  and  build  (except  perhaps,  those  of  the  class 
familiar  to  modern  eyes),  fording  streams — some  even  at 
low  tide  wading  across  the  bay.  Thus  they  thronged  to  the 
sanctuary.  These  were  the  days  of  long  sermons.  Two 
or  three  hours  of  religious  exercises  were  followed  by  an 
intermission  of  fifteen  minutes.    This,  in  summer,  was 

415 


HOME-MAKING  AND  ITS  PHILOSOPHY 


spent  by  the  people  under  the  shade  of  the  old  spruce  trees, 
which  then  stood  in  front  of  the  church  on  the  opposite  side 
of  the  road.  There  they  partook  of  the  refreshments  they 
had  brought  from  their  homes.  It  was  a  charming  quarter 
of  an  hour.  It  passed  away  with  marvellous  rapidity. 
Everybody  enjoyed  it,  the  young  particularly.  When  the 
time  allotted  had  expired  and  the  people  began  to  wend  their 
way  back  to  church  for  three  hours  more  of  religious  exer- 
cises, an  acute  observer  might  have  detected  on  the  faces, 
at  all  events  of  the  boys  and  girls,  an  expression  that  be- 
tokened a  wish  either  that  the  sermons  were  shorter,  or  if 
that  could  not  be,  at  least  that  the  intermissions  were  longer. 

"I  have  not  spoken  of  the  other  denominations,  because 
in  early  times  the  greater  part  of  the  people  were  Presby- 
terians. At  first  all  were  so,  and  it  was  only  by  secession 
from  people  of  that  creed  and  by  the  arrival  of  newcomers 
from  without,  that  the  other  denominations  grew  to  the 
position,  as  regards  numbers  and  respectability,  which  they 
hold  at  this  moment.  Nor  have  I  time  to  tell  of  the  events 
which  preceded,  or  accompanied,  or  followed  the  construc- 
tion of  the  buildings  which  have  made  Truro  the  center 
of  the  common  school  education  of  the  province.  Much 
less  can  I  tell  of  that  long  line  of  public  men,  who  have  rep- 
resented us  in  the  Assembly,  from  the  year  1766,  when  old 
David  Archibald  first  took  his  seat  for  Truro,  down  to  the 
present  time.  On  this  point  let  me  mention  in  passing  a 
circumstance  which  I  do  not  think  has  occurred  in  any  other 
county  of  the  province  in  connection  with  the  representation. 
In  the  long  period  of  one  hundred  and  sixteen  years  during 
which  our  constituency  has  existed,  the  family  of  the  first 
member  has  furnished  four  representatives  in  lineal  descent 
one  from  the  other,  while  the  family  of  a  younger  brother 
of  his  has  furnished  three  members  in  as  many  different 

416 


HON.  SIR  ADAMS  GEORGE  ARCHIBALD 


generations.  It  is  clear  therefore  that  that  family  had  had 
its  full  share  of  public  honors,  and  it  was  quite  time  for  it  to 
stand  aside  for  others  to  take  their  turn. 

"But  the  waning  time  bids  me  bring  my  observations 
to  a  close.  Let  me  say  in  concluding  that  the  progress 
made  by  Truro  within  the  past  few  years  justifies  the  hope 
of  a  prosperous  future.  As  the  center  of  a  fine  agricultural 
county,  it  would  be  assured  under  any  circumstances  of  a 
continuous — even  if  only  a  moderate  support.  The  site 
admits  of  an  indefinite  extension  in  all  directions.  It  affords 
every  convenience  for  carrying  on  industrial  enterprises. 
As  regards  railways  the  position  of  Truro  fits  it  for  being  a 
distributing  center.  There  cannot  be  a  doubt  therefore 
that  so  far  as  physical  conditions  are  concerned,  everything 
is  favorable  for  the  growth  of  the  town.  These  are  very 
important  considerations — indeed  almost  indispensable — 
but  they  will  not  of  themselves  make  a  town.  One  thing 
more  is  wanted,  and  that  is  a  spirit  of  energy  and  enterprise 
among  its  people.  That  spirit  has  created  towns  where 
many  of  our  advantages  were  wanting,  but  without  it  all  the 
advantages  in  the  world  will  not  avail.  It  is  this  which 
creates  industrial  undertakings  that  employ  and  reward 
labor.  These  invite  population,  create  wealth,  in  short 
make  what  in  American  parlance  is  called  a  'live'  city.  Of 
this  spirit  our  people  have  shown  of  late  that  they  have  a 
goodly  share.  What  has  been  done  is  a  fair  measure  of 
what  we  may  expect  to  be  done. 

"Let  each  of  us  do  what  in  him  lies  to  promote  the 
interests  of  the  town.  Let  us  feel  for  the  place  as  a  whole, 
something  of  the  regard  we  have  for  the  pa¥t  of  it  which 
belongs  to  us  individually.  Let  us  take  pleasure  in  the  sight 
of  other  houses  as  neat  and  tidy  as  our  own — of  other  gar- 
dens blooming  with  flowers  like  our  own — of  streets  as  clean 


HOME-MAKING  AND  ITS  PHILOSOPHY 


and  skirted  by  trees  as  beautiful  as  are  the  streets  and  the 
trees  which  are  nearest  our  own  places.  Let  us  delight  in 
the  evidence  of  culture  and  refinement  all  around  us.  We 
will  thus  make  our  town  an  object  of  beauty  as  well  as  a  place 
of  business,  and  may  cherish  a  pride  in  it  which  these  things 
will  amply  justify. 

"Then  let  us  encourage  in  every  way  in  our  power  the 
establishment  among  us  of  every  industrial  enterprise  that 
offers  a  reasonable  prospect  of  success.  Let  us  welcome 
to  our  midst  every  man  who  can  bring  with  him  skill  and 
energy,  industry  and  probity,  and  who  will  place  these 
qualities  at  our  service  in  building  up  our  town. 

"I  trust  that  one  effect  of  this  celebration  will  be  to  in- 
crease the  interest  we  take  in  our  past  and  present,  to  knit 
us  more  closely  together  as  members  of  one  community, 
and  to  induce  us,  however  much  we  may  differ  on  other 
matters  of  more  or  less  importance,  to  work  together  with 
one  heart  and  one  mind  for  the  best  interests  of  our  beloved 
town." 

In  Memoriam,  the  Honorable  Sir  Adams 
George  Archibald,  K.  C.  M.  G.,  P.  C,  Q.  C,  D.  C.  L. 

In  the  decease  of  the  eminent  statesman  and  scholar 
to  whom,  from  the  inception  of  this  Society  to  the  termina- 
tion of  his  connection  with  it  by  death,  it  was  largely  in- 
debted for  the  position  achieved  by  it,  and  the  prosperity 
which  has  marked  its  progress  hitherto,  and  who  departed 
this  life  while  holding  office  as  its  President,  the  Nova  Scotia 
Historical  Society  finds  occasion  for  the  expression  of  its 
profound  sorrow  and  the  offering  of  a  well-merited  tribute 
to  his  memory. 

The  name  of  Archibald  is  one  of  historic  interest  in  Nova 
Scotia,  having  been  early  rendered  famous  by  some  who  bore 

418 


HON.  SIR  ADAMS  GEORGE  ARCHIBALD 


it,  and  more  recently  illustrated  by  the  subject  of  this  sketch. 

Adams  George  was  born  at  Truro,  in  this  province,  on 
May  1 8,  1814,  son  of  Samuel,  whose  father  was  James,  who 
from  June,  1796,  held,  for  the  remainder  of  his  life,  the  office 
of  Judge  of  the  Court  of  Common  Pleas  for  the  County  of 
Colchester,  and  whose  grandfather,  Samuel,  was  one  of 
four  brothers  of  Scottish  extraction  who,  immigrating  from 
the  north  of  Ireland  in  1761,  received  grants  of  land  in  Col- 
chester County,  and  from  whom  numerous  families  now 
scattered  thoughout  Nova  Scotia  trace  their  descent.  Among 
those  who  have  adorned  this  name,  the  Hon.  S.  G.  W. 
Archibald,  at  the  time  of  his  decease  Master  of  the  Rolls 
for  the  province  of  Nova  Scotia,  stood  pre-eminent;  and  of 
his  sons  one,  Sir  Thomas,  became  a  Baron  of  the  Exchequer 
in  England,  and  another,  Sir  Edward,  for  many  years  the 
British  Consul  at  New  York,  was  knighted  for  distinguished 
service.  The  mother  of  Sir  Adams  was  also  an  Archibald — 
Elizabeth,  daughter  of  Matthew,  coroner  of  Colchester 
(1776),  and  representative  of  that  county  in  the  General 
Assembly. 

Adams  George  Archibald  received  his  general  education 
at  Pictou  Academy,  under  Dr.  McCulloch,  and  pursued  his 
legal  studies  with  the  late  William  Sutherland,  Q.C.,  after- 
wards Recorder  of  Halifax.  He  was  admitted  an  attorney 
in  both  Prince  Edward  Island  and  Nova  Scotia  in  1838; 
and  in  1839  was  called  to  the  bar  of  the  latter  province.  In 
1 85 1  he  was  elected  to  represent  Colchester  in  the  House  of 
Assembly,  and  was  continuously  re-elected  up  to  the  date  of 
the  union  of  the  provinces  in  1867.  His  career  at  that  time 
was  marked  by  assiduous  attention  to  the  business  of  the 
House,  and  to  improvements  in  the  course  of  legislation. 
He  carried  bills  for  regulating  municipal  assessments  and 
for  managing  the  gold  fields  of  the  province,  greatly  assisted 

419 


HOME-MAKING  AND  ITS  PHILOSOPHY 


in  maturing  the  free  school  system  of  education  now  existing, 
and  boldly,  and  with  success,  assailed  the  law  of  universal 
suffrage,  and  secured  the  restriction  of  the  franchise  to  rate- 
payers. Mr.  Archibald  married  (June  i,  1843),  Elizabeth 
A.,  daughter  of  the  Rev.  John  Burnyeat,  the  first  clergyman 
of  the  Church  of  England  in  the  parish  of  St.  John,  Col- 
chester, by  his  wife  Lavinia,  daughter  of  Charles  Dickson 
and  sister  of  Elizabeth,  the  wife  of  the  Hon.  S.  G.  W.  Archi- 
bald, before  referred  to.  Mr.  Archibald  was  himself,  through 
family  tradition  and  by  personal  adherence,  a  Presbyterian. 
He  was  created  Queen's  Counsel  in  or  about  the  year  1855, 
was  appointed  Executive  Councillor  and  Solicitor-General 
in  1856,  and  in  i860  Attorney-General,  which  office,  with 
that  of  Advocate-General  of  the  Court  of  Vice-Admiralty, 
received  in  1862,  he  held  until  the  defeat  of  the  Government, 
of  which  he  was  a  member,  in  1863.  In  1857,  ne  was>  in 
conjunction  with  the  late  Hon.  J.  W.  Johnstone,  com- 
missioned a  delegate  to  England  to  negotiate,  with  the  British 
Government  and  General  Mining  Association,  terms  on 
which  the  monopoly  of  that  Association  in  the  coal  areas  of 
this  province  might  be  terminated,  and  the  control  of  its 
mines  and  minerals  fully  assured  to  the  province.  A  happy 
solution  of  a  long-standing  difficulty  was  then  accomplished. 
In  1 86 1  he  was  a  delegate  to  a  conference  held  at  Quebec  to 
discuss  the  question  of  an  Intercolonial  Railway.  In  1864, 
Mr.  Archibald  being  then  leader  of  the  Opposition  in  the 
House  of  Assembly,  seconded  a  resolution  moved  by  Dr. 
Tupper,  the  leader  of  the  Government,  in  favor  of  the  ap- 
pointment of  delegates  to  confer  with  delegates  from  New 
Brunswick  and  Prince  Edward  Island  on  the  subject  of  a 
legislative  union  of  the  three  provinces.  He  attended  as 
one  of  these  delegates  the  conference  held  in  Charlottetown, 
Prince  Edward  Island,  in  June  of  that  year,  and,  the  ques- 

420 


HON.  SIR  ADAMS  GEORGE  ARCHIBALD 


tion  becoming  merged  in  the  larger  one  of  a  union  of  all  the 
British  American  provinces,  he  was  found  later  in  the  year 
at  the  Quebec  Conference  called  to  mature  this  measure, 
and,  after  ably  advocating  it  in  the  legislature  of  this  province, 
took  an  active  part  in  securing  its  consummation  at  the  final 
conference  held  in  London  in  the  winter  of  1866-7.  When, 
in  1867,  the  provinces  became  confederated  as  the  Dominion 
of  Canada,  Mr.  Archibald  was  appointed  Secretary  of  State. 
Failing,  however,  to  secure  re-election  by  his  old  constituency, 
he  resigned  this  office  in  1868,  but  was  returned  to  the  House 
of  Commons  in  1869,  and  sat  until  May,  1870,  when  he  was 
appointed  to  the  Lieutenant-Governorship  of  Manitoba. 
The  circumstances  of  that  province  at  the  time  required  the 
exercise  of  just  such  qualities  as  Mr.  Archibald  possessed 
in  a  marked  degree;  a  cool  and  sound  judgment  directing  a 
potent  will  which  effected  its  purposes  through  a  manner 
of  the  utmost  urbanity;  and  the  results  of  his  administration 
of  affairs  were  eminently  satisfactory.  Having  accomplished 
the  pacification  of  the  province  and  established  its  govern- 
ment on  a  constitutional  footing,  he  resigned  in  1873  and 
returned  to  Nova  Scotia,  where  he  was  appointed  Judge  in 
Equity  in  succession  to  the  Hon.  J.  W.  Johnstone.  This 
office  he  had  held  but  a  few  days  when  on  July  4,  1873,  ne 
was  sworn  in  as  Lieutenant-Governor  of  his  native  province, 
on  the  death  of  the  Hon.  Joseph  Howe,  who  had  been  ap- 
pointed but  a  short  time  previously.  His  courtier-like  and 
dignified  bearing,  his  high  intellectual  aspirations,  his  love 
of  constitutional  lore,  the  impartiality  of  his  judgment,  and 
the  geniality  of  his  disposition,  well  fitted  him  to  adorn  the 
position  which  he  had  now  attained.  He  discharged  its 
varied  duties  with  the  same  skill  and  success  which  had 
characterized  him  in  other  spheres,  and  when  the  term  of 
his  appointment  expired  in  1878,  he  was  requested,  on  the 


421 


HOME-MAKING  AND  ITS  PHILOSOPHY 


advice  of  the  Hon.  Alexander  McKenzie,  then  Prime  Minister 
of  the  Dominion,  to  continue  in  office,  which  he  did,  until 
July,  1883.  He  had,  in  1872,  been  created  by  Her  Majesty 
the  Queen  a  Companion  of  the  Order  of  St.  Michael  and  St. 
George  in  recognition  of  the  distinguished  service  rendered 
by  him  in  Manitoba,  and  in  1886  he  was  made  a  Knight 
Commander  of  the  Order  in  further  token  of  his  Sovereign's 
approval. 

Retired  from  office,  Sir  Adams  did  not  seek  for  absolute 
repose.  His  mind  was  of  the  order  which  ever  aims  at  use- 
fulness, and  his  literary  tendencies  happily  led  him  in  the 
direction  of  such  researches  and  discussions  as  this  Society 
is  designed  to  promote.  King's  College,  Windsor,  con- 
ferred upon  him  the  honorary  degree  of  D.C.L.  in  1883. 
In  1884  he  was  chosen  chairman  of  the  Board  of  Governors 
of  Dalhousie  College  and  University. 

In  February,  1886,  Sir  Adams  accepted  a  nomination  to 
the  office  of  President  of  the  Historical  Society,  and  was 
duly  elected  thereto.  Thenceforward  it  was  the  special 
object  of  his  ambition,  and  increasing  solicitude,  so  to  con- 
tribute by  his  own  endeavors,  and  so  to  stimulate  the  exer- 
tions of  others,  as  that  the  objects  for  which  the  Society  was 
formed  might  be  thoroughly  accomplished.  He  had  already 
conferred  upon  it  many  favors  and  frequently  benefited  it 
by  his  pen.  He  delivered,  at  the  formation  of  the  Society, 
the  inaugural  address  printed  in  the  first  volume  of  the 
Society's  collections.  He  contributed  to  our  second  volume 
an  entertaining  biographical  sketch  of  Sir  Alexander  Croke, 
Judge  of  the  Court  of  Vice-Admiralty  at  Halifax  during  the 
period  covered  by  the  Napoleonic  wars;  to  our  third  volume 
an  historical  account  of  Government  House;  to  our  fourth 
a  like  story  of  the  Province  Building;  to  our  fifth  two  papers 
on  the  Expulsion  of  the  Acadians,  and  to  our  seventh  a  paper 

422 


HON.  SIR  ADAMS  GEORGE  ARCHIBALD 


on  the  Exodus  of  the  Negroes  in  1 791  with  extracts  from 
Clarkson's  Journal, — possession  of  which  he  had  obtained 
in  one  of  his  visits  to  England.  He  also  from  time  to  time 
read  interesting  papers  which  have  not  been  published,  as 
that  in  1882,  entitled:  "A  Chapter  in  the  Life  of  Sir  John 
Wentworth";  and  again  in  1884,  "The  Early  Life  of  Sir  John 
Wentworth";  and  in  1886,  a  paper  giving  an  account  of 
Bermuda,  from  personal  observation  and  research. 

In  1888  a  vacancy  having  occurred  in  the  representation 
of  Colchester  through  the  appointment  of  the  Honorable 
A.  W.  McLelan  as  Lieutenant-Governor,  Sir  Adams  yielded 
to  the  solicitation  of  his  friends  and  was  again  elected  to  the 
House  of  Commons.  Advancing  age,  however,  admonished 
him  to  decline  a  renewed  nomination  at  the  General  Election 
in  1 89 1,  and  he  then  permanently  withdrew  from  public  life. 

As  health  failed  and  Sir  Adams  felt  that  his  term  of 
efficient  service  was  near  its  close,  desiring  to  retain  office 
no  longer  than  he  could  adequately  fulfil  its  functions,  he 
addressed  a  letter  to  the  Secretary  of  this  Society  declining 
to  be  renominated  for  President  at  the  annual  meeting  in 
February,  1892.  The  Society,  however,  would  not  enter- 
tain the  proposal  and  re-elected  him  by  a  cordial  and  unani- 
mous vote. 

What  remains  to  be  said  is  best  presented  in  the  following 
resolution,  passed  at  a  meeting  specially  convened  on 
December  21,  1892,  on  notice  of  his  decease.  It  was  moved 
by  Peter  Lynch,  Esq.,  Q.C.,  his  life-long  friend  and  active 
associate  in  the  Society,  whose  loss  it  has  since  been  called 
to  mourn,  and  seconded  by  Senator  Power: 

"  Whereas,  the  Honorable  Sir  Adams  George  Archibald, 
K.C.M.G.,  was  President  of  the  Nova  Scotia  Historical 
Society  from  February,  1886,  until  his  death  on  the  14th 
instant; 

423 


HOME-MAKING  AND  ITS  PHILOSOPHY 


"And  Whereas,  the  deceased  statesman  took  a  deep  and 
constant  interest  in  this  Society  and  its  work  from  the  oc- 
casion when  he  delivered  its  inaugural  address  in  the  Legis- 
lative Council  Chamber  on  the  21st  of  June,  1878,  to  the 
close  of  his  life; 

"Therefore  Resolved,  that  this  Society  recognizes  an  ir- 
reparable loss  in  the  death  of  its  distinguished  President, 
and  desires  to  record  its  appreciation  of  the  ability  and  re- 
search displayed  in  his  numerous  contributions  to  its  col- 
lections, of  his  regular  attendance  at  its  meetings,  of  his  genial 
dignity  as  its  presiding  officer,  and  of  his  industry  and  judg- 
ment and  success  in  securing  valuable  papers  for  its  meetings 
season  after  season. 

"And  Further  Resolved,  that  a  copy  of  this  resolution  be 
forwarded  to  Lady  Archibald,  and  that  the  same  be  em- 
bodied in  an  obituary  article  to  be  published  in  the  next 
volume  to  be  issued  by  the  Society." 

Thus  closed  the  career  of  this  distinguished  son  of  Nova 
Scotia  in  the  fullness  of  days  and  of  honors.  His  remains 
now  rest  in  the  quiet  churchyard  of  his  native  town  of  Truro. 
He  leaves  no  son  to  inherit  his  name,  one  on  whom  his  hopes 
had  centered  having  been  cut  off  in  early  youth.  Lady 
Archibald  and  three  daughters  survive  him.  One  of  these 
is  married  to  the  Right  Reverend  Bishop  Jones  of  Newfound- 
land; another  to  F.  D.  Laurie,  Esquire,  of  Pictou,  and  the 
third,  the  wife  of  the  Rev.  Reginald  Thomas  Heygate,  is 
resident  in  England. 


424 


CHAPTER  III 


SOME  PROMINENT  ARCHIBALDS 

THE  Archibald  family  is  of  Scottish  origin.  About  the 
middle  of  the  seventeenth  century,  several  members  of 
the  family  settled  in  Londonderry,  Ireland,  where  they 
remained  till  about  the  middle  of  the  eighteenth  century. 
Some  of  these  went  to  America  and  settled  temporarily  in 
Londonderry,  New  Hampshire,  from  which  place  four  broth- 
ers of  the  name  went  to  Nova  Scotia  and  settled  in  Truro  in 
1762.  David  Archibald,  the  eldest  of  these  brothers,  was 
born  in  1 71 7.  In  1776  he  became  the  first  member  of  the 
township  of  Truro  in  the  General  Assembly  of  the  province, 
and  in  after  years  the  seat  was  held  by  his  son  Samuel,  his 
grandson  Samuel  George  William,  and  his  great-grandson: 
Charles  Dickson,  whose  brothers  were  the  late  Sir  Edward 
Mortimer  Archibald,  K.C.M.G.,  British-Consul  at  New 
York,  and  the  late  Sir  Thomas  Dickson  Archibald,  Knight 
of  Bickly,  County  Kent,  England,  a  judge  of  the  Court  of 
Queen's  Bench,  and  afterwards  of  the  Court  of  Common 
Pleas.  David  Archibald's  great-great-grandson  is  the  pres- 
ent Charles  William  Archibald  of  Rusland  Hall,  Ulverston, 
County  Lancaster,  England,  justice  of  the  peace,  member 
of  the  institution  of  civil  engineers,  eldest  son  of  the  above- 
mentioned  Charles  Dickson.  David  married  in  1741, 
Rachel,  daughter  of  James  Duncan,  Esq.,  of  Haverhill, 
Massachusetts.  His  descendants  and  those  of  his  brothers 
are  now  very  numerous.  The  Archibalds  are  to  be  found 
in  nearly  every  county  of  Nova  Scotia,  in  every  province  of 
the  Dominion  and  in  almost  every  State  of  the  Union. 

One  of  David  Archibald's  brothers,  Samuel,  had  a  son, 
James  Archibald,  who  in  1796  was  appointed  judge  of  the 
Court  of  Common  Pleas  for  the  County  of  Colchester  in 

425 


HOME-MAKING  AND  ITS  PHILOSOPHY 


Nova  Scotia,  which  office  he  held  till  his  death  in  1828.  He 
left  numerous  issue,  among  whom  was  Samuel  Archibald, 
Esq.,  who  was  born  at  Truro,  October  14,  1784.  He  was  a 
justice  of  the  peace  for  over  forty  years.  He  married 
February  19,  1807,  his  cousin  Elizabeth,  daughter  of  Mat- 
thew Archibald,  Esq.,  who  was  also  representative  of  Truro 
for  some  years  in  the  municipal  council;  and  a  son  and 
grandson  of  his  in  after  years  represented  the  County  of 
Colchester  in  that  council. 

William  A.  N.  Archibald,  M.D.,  eighth  son  of  Samuel 
Burke  Archibald,  born  in  Musquodoboit,  October  9,  1825, 
graduated  July  16,  1851,  at  Harvard;  died  at  Musquodoboit, 
January  29,  1853. 

Rev.  Henry  Archibald,  son  of  John  and  Barbara  Archi- 
bald, was  born  at  Muselburg,  Scotland,  August  14,  1786. 
He  was  pastor  of  a  Baptist  Church  in  Haddam,  Connecticut. 
Rev.  Thomas  Henry  Archibald  was  ordained  at  Concord 
N.  H.,  1847.    Rev.  Samuel  Henry  Archibald  was  his  son. 

The  race  of  Archibalds  were  Scotch  or  Scotch-Irish, 
which  are  the  same  blood.  Many  centuries  had  passed  in 
the  building  of  the  Scottish,  as  in  the  building  of  the  English 
nation.  The  building  of  these  races  in  Scotland  and  the 
sharp  stamping  of  religious  and  political  ideas  had  developed 
and  made  the  Scotch  race  a  distinctive  and  sharply  defined 
people  in  their  intellectual,  mental  and  moral  characteristics, 
and  different  from  all  others  centuries  before,  as  we  find 
them  at  the  time  of  their  settlement  in  the  Emerald  Isle. 
Thus  they  have  still  remained  since  their  settlement  in  Ire- 
land. They  were  Scotch  in  all  their  traits,  though  dwelling 
upon  Irish  soil.  The  Scotch-Irish  were  people  of  Scotch 
lineage.  The  Scotch  are  called  clannish,  and  the  descend- 
ants of  those  who  settled  in  Ireland  were  clannish.  Macaulay 
says  in  his  History  of  England,  "They  were  sundered  by 

426 


SOME  PROMINENT  ARCHIBALDS 


sharp  dividing  lines  of  religious  faith  and  by  keen  differences 
of  race.  In  the  centuries  of  calamities  and  wrongs  a  strong 
antipathy  had  generated."  The  racial  marks  are  birth- 
marks, and  birthmarks  are  indelible.  They  are  great  soul 
features.  They  were  principles — religious,  moral,  intel- 
lectual and  political. 

Samuel  Gardner  Derby  Archibald,  of  Salem,  Massa- 
chusetts, graduate  of  Harvard,  born  in  1785,  married  daugh- 
ter of  Dr.  Joseph  Osgood,  1803,  and  was  Captain  of  Salem 
Light  Infantry.    He  died  in  1843. 

The  following  Archibalds  were  members  of  the  New 
Brick  Church,  Boston,  1722  to  1775:  Francis  Archibald, 
Mary  Archibald,  Francis  Archibald. 

Serving  as  British  officers  in  America  in  1755  were  George 
Archbold,  lieutenant;  John  Archbold,  lieutenant;  Thomas 
Archbold,  lieutenant. 

William  Archbold  married  Elizabeth,  granddaughter  of 
John  Yeamans,  Lieutenant-Governor  of  Antigua,  1769. 

Abram  Newcombe,  his  mother  an  Archibald,  was  born 
at  Musquodoboit;  died  at  New  York,  November  14,  1863. 
Was  sergeant  Company  C,  of  the  Maine  Infantry.  Buried 
in  cemetery  at  Western  Promenade,  Portland,  Maine. 

Donald  G.  Archibald,  2d,  son  of  Matthew  and  Jane 
Archibald,  was  born  in  Musquodoboit,  August  16,  1840. 
Elected  May  6,  1871,  to  the  local  Parliament  of  Nova 
Scotia,  and  again  in  1876.  He  was  warden  of  his  native 
county  of  Halifax  for  several  years  and  appointed  sheriff  in 
1884.  He  was  a  man  of  large  stature,  being  six  feet,  four 
inches  in  height.  He  left  eight  children.  His  human 
sympathies  had  great  strength  and  breadth.  His  tempera- 
ment was  calm,  forceful  and  Christianlike.  He  died  at 
Halifax,  holding  the  sheriff's  office,  September  9,  1908. 

Charles  Archibald,  vice-president  of  the  Bank  of  Nova 

427 


HOME-MAKING  AND  ITS  PHILOSOPHY 


Scotia,  was  appointed  by  the  Minister  of  Labor  in  1909  to 
represent  the  employers  on  the  conciliation  board  to  in- 
vestigate the  differences  between  the  Cumberland  Railway 
and  Coal  Company  and  its  employees.  Residence,  Halifax. 
Archibald,  Bishop  of  Caithness,  appointed  1275;  died  1288. 

William  Archbold,  president  of  the  High  Court  of  Justice, 
Chief  Baron  of  the  Exchequer,  1378. 

Robert  Woodrow  Archibald,  jurist,  Carbondale,  Pa. 

Very  Rev.  John  Archibald,  M.A.,  author  of  "History  of 
the  Episcopal  Church  at  Keith  in  the  Seventeenth,  Eigh- 
teenth and  Nineteenth  Centuries/'  and  other  books.  Ad- 
dress, Keith,  North  Britain. 

W.  A.  P.  Archibald,  LL.B.,  principal  of  the  Mohamme- 
dan Anglo-Oriental  College,  Aligarh  United  Provinces,  India. 

John  Dustan  Archbold,  capitalist,  New  York  City  and 
Leesburg,  Ohio. 

John  Sprott  Archibald,  C.D.C.L.,  Professor  of  Criminal 
and  Constitutional  Law  in  McGill  University,  Montreal; 
born  at  Musquodoboit,  September  8,  1843.  ^s  father  and 
mother  were  Archibalds  before  marriage.  Their  ancestors 
came  from  Londonderry,  Ireland,  in  1 719. 

James  F.  J.  Archibald,  war  correspondent;  born  at  New 
York,  son  of  Dr.  R.  A.  Archibald;  served  in  Chinese  and 
Japanese  War;  A.  D.  C.  Fifth  Army  Corps  through  Spanish 
War;  with  British  forces  in  Soudan,  1899.  Residence, 
Oakland,  California. 

Alexander  R.  Archibald,  born  at  Musquodoboit,  1846; 
graduated  from  Dartmouth  College,  N.  H.,  1874.  Com- 
mandant Military  School  of  Cadets  1877.  Established 
Archibald  College,  Minneapolis,  which  enjoys  a  prosperous 
existence. 

John  Gordon  Archibald,  B.A.,  Province  Quebec;  Rhodes 
Scholarship,  1904. 

428 


SOME  PROMINENT  ARCHIBALDS 


Samuel  George  Archibald,  B.C.L.  In  January  22, 
1904,  selected  by  Egyptian  government  to  be  professor  of 
law  in  the  University  of  Cairo. 

E.  D.  Archibald,  B.A.,  F.M.S.,  professor  of  mathe- 
matics Patana  College,  India,  1878;  author  of  "The  Rain- 
fall of  the  World,"  in  connection  with  the  eleven-year  period 
of  sunspots. 

It  was  an  Archibald  who  constructed  the  Erie  and  Dela- 
ware and  Hudson  canals. 

W.  P.  Archibald,  Dominion  parole  officer,  born  at  Truro, 
Nova  Scotia,  in  1861.  His  father,  W.  P.  Archibald,  died 
at  Truro,  aged  ninety-one  years,  July  6,  1909.  He  is  a 
student  in  practice  of  Canadian  criminology.  Address, 
Ottawa,  Canada. 

Rev.  Andrew  Webster  Archibald,  graduated  at  the  head 
of  his  class  from  Union  College,  also  with  oratorical  and 
literary  honors,  and  later  received  the  honorary  D.D.  in 
Theological  course  at  Yale  University.  Congregational 
pastorates  in  Iowa;  trustee  of  Iowa  College;  president  of 
the  State  Home  Missionary  Society;  two  pastorates  in  Massa- 
chusetts, with  churches  of  seven  hundred  members  each; 
moderator  of  Boston  Ministers'  meeting;  director  of  Christian 
Endeavor  Union,  Massachusetts;  delegate  at  large  to  the 
triennial  Congregational  national  council;  author  of  "The 
Bible  Verified, "  which  has  gone  to  a  fourth  edition  and  has 
been  translated  into  Spanish  and  Japanese.  Two  other 
books  have  more  recently  come  from  his  pen,  "The  Trend 
of  the  Centuries"  and  "The  Easter  Hope."  Residence, 
Newton  Center,  Massachusetts. 

Luther  B.  Archibald  born  at  Truro,  Nova  Scotia,  1849, 
son  of  Charles  Blair  Archibald,  who  was  the  first  and  for  five 
years  mayor  of  Truro.  He  has  been  prominently  con- 
nected with  the  Prince  Edward  Island  Railway  and  Inter- 

429 


HOME-MAKING  AND  ITS  PHILOSOPHY 


colonial  Railway  since  1872,  and  prominent  in  Masonic 
circles,  having  been  grand  master  Mason  of  Nova  Scotia; 
grand  high  priest  of  the  Grand  Chapter  Royal  Arch  Masons 
of  Nova  Scotia;  and  supreme  grand  master  of  the  Order  of 
Knights-Templar  for  the  Dominion  of  Canada,  which  posi- 
tion he  holds  at  the  present.  He  has  also  been  a  grand 
master  workman  of  the  Ancient  Order  of  United  Workmen. 

Peter  S.  Archibald,  civil  engineer,  Moncton,  N.  B. 

R.  B.  and  W.  M.  Archibald,  attorneys-at-law,  Jackson- 
ville, Florida. 

James  Archibald,  railway  contractor,  Jacksonville, 
Florida. 

Prof.  Ebenezer  Henry  Archibald,  Ph.D.,  F.R.S.E., 
Bowne  Hall  of  Chemistry,  Syracuse  University,  New  York, 
1 9 10.    Born  at  Musquodoboit,  Nova  Scotia. 

Rev.  Charles  C.  Earle,  D.D.,  of  Boston,  writes:  "Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Henry  O.  Archibald  were  characterized  by  graces 
and  virtues  which  marked  them  as  disciples  indeed  of  the 
lowly  Nazarene.  They  were  faithful,  generous,  hospitable, 
and  conscientious,  commanding  the  regard  of  all  who  knew 
them."   Residence,  Brockton,  Mass. 

John  Alfred  Archibald,  born  1849,  resides  in  Littleton, 
New  Hampshire,  son  of  George  Washington  Archibald, 
born  at  Musquodoboit. 

Roger  Archbold  went  to  Scotland  from  Berwick-on-the- 
Tweed,  with  his  family  in  18 10.  John  Archbold,  son,  born 
1800;  died  1893.  Andrew  Archbold,  son  of  John  Archbold, 
born  in  1855,  Renfrewshire;  came  to  America  in  1874. 
Andrew,  James,  Mary  and  Catherine  are  the  children  of 
Andrew,  Senior.    Address,  Cohoes,  N.  Y. 

Abram  Newcomb  Archibald  born  at  Stewiacke,  Nova 
Scotia,  June  2,  1849,  seventh  son  of  Daniel  and  Rebecca 
Archibald.    He  pursued  classical  studies,  taught  the  public 

43° 


SOME  PROMINENT  ARCHIBALDS 


school  at  Musquodoboit,  in  1876  was  appointed  principal 
Richmond  School,  Halifax,  and  in  1879  °^  tne  Albro  School. 
Resigned  in  July,  1881,  and  was  appointed  secretary  and 
superintendent  of  colportage  for  the  British  American 
Book  and  Tract  Society,  with  head  office  at  Halifax.  In 
1883  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Archibald  and  son,  now  Dr.  Raymond 
Clare  Archibald,  visited  Great  Britain  and  both  addressed 
large  audiences  in  Edinboro  and  Glasgow.  Mr.  Archibald 
was  a  persuasive  speaker  and  good  writer  as  was  also  Mrs. 
Archibald.  He  died  at  Halifax,  November  27,  1883.  After 
Mr.  Archibald's  decease  Mrs.  Archibald  was  appointed  chief 
preceptress  of  Mount  Allison  Ladies'  College,  Sackville,  New 
Brunswick.  The  college  honored  her  memory  by  raising 
in  1900  five  thousand  dollars  to  promote  the  education  of 
deserving  girls.  This  ultimately  meant  the  raising  of 
twenty-five  thousand  for  a  new  wing  adapted  for  the  above 
purpose. 

Raymond  Clare  Archibald,  born  in  South  Branch, 
Stewiacke,  October  7,  1876.  Educated  at  Mount  Allison 
Male  Academy,  1885-9;  won  mathematics  scholarship  on 
matriculation  into  Mount  Allison  University,  1889-94,  B.A., 
1894,  with  first-class  honors  in  mathematics;  Howard  Uni- 
versity, B.A.,  1896;  M.A.,  1897;  Post-graduate,  1897-98; 
Berlin  University,  1898-99;  Strasburg  University,  1899- 
1900;  Ph.D.,  1900.  Artist's  Violin  Diploma,  Mount  Allison 
Conservatory,  1895.  Taught  mathematics  in  the  Mount 
Allison  Ladies'  College,  1894-95;  1900-07;  professor  of 
mathematics,  Acadia  University,  1907-08;  instructor  of 
mathematics,  Brown  University,  Providence,  Rhode  Island, 
1908-09;  leave  of  absence  to  study  at  Sorbonne  University, 
Paris,  1909-10.  Assistant  professor  of  mathematics  at 
Brown  University,  19 10.  Published  mathematical  notes 
and    articles    in    Educational    Times,    V  Intermediate  des 

43 1 


HOME-MAKING  AND  ITS  PHILOSOPHY 


Mathematiciens,  Annals  of  Mathematics.  Has  also  published 
Die  Kardioide  und  einige  ihr  verwandte  Kurven,  1900,  and 
Carlyle's  First  Love,  Margaret  Gordon,  Lady  Bannerman, 
1909.  Life  member  of  the  American  Mathematical  Society 
and  of  the  Deutsche  Mathematiker  Vereinigung;  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Nova  Scotia  Historical  Society  and  a  Fellow 
of  the  American  Association  for  the  Advancement  of 
Science. 

Eliakim  Newcomb  Archibald,  born  at  Upper  Stewiacke, 
Nova  Scotia,  April  9,  1836;  graduated,  1865;  pastor  Baptist 
Church,  North  River,  1 865-1 870;  Alexandria,  Prince  Ed- 
ward Island,  1870;  Shelburne,  1874-1876;  Osborne,  Nova 
Scotia,  1877-1878;  Bedeque,  1879-1883;  O'Leary  Road, 
Prince  Edward  Island,  1883-1886;  Clements,  1886;  Lunen- 
burg, Nova  Scotia,  for  nine  years;  retired  from  the  active 
ministry,  and  died  at  Lawrencetown,  June  7,  1903.  B.A., 
Acadia,  1865. 

Isaac  Chipman  Archibald,  born  at  Upper  Stewiacke, 
Nova  Scotia;  graduated,  1880;  studied  at  Newton  Theo- 
logical Institute,  1880-1882;  missionary  to  the  Telugus  in 
India  under  the  Foreign  Mission  Board  of  the  Baptist  Con- 
vention of  the  Maritime  Provinces,  1882.  B.A.,  Acadia, 
1880;  M.A.,  1883.  Address,  Chicacole,  Madras  Presidency, 
India. 

William  Laird  Archibald,  born  at  Alexandria,  Prince 
Edward  Island,  January  26,  1870;  graduated,  1892;  student 
Semitic  languages  and  Biblical  literature  at  the  University 
of  Chicago,  1 892- 1 894;  Rochester  Theological  Seminary, 
1 894- 1 896;  Field  Secretary,  Acadia  University,  1909.  B.A., 
Acadia,  1892;  M.A.,  University  of  Chicago,  1894,  Acadia, 
1895;  Ph.D.,  National  University  of  Chicago,  1900. 

Adoniram  Judson  Archibald,  born  at  Shelburne,  Nova 
Scotia,  July  10,  1874;  graduated,  1896;  Rochester  Theo- 

432 


SOME  PROMINENT  ARCHIBALDS 


logical  Seminary,  1899- 1900;  pastor,  Digby,  Nova  Scotia. 
B.A.,  Acadia,  1896;  M.A.,  1900.    Address,  Digby. 

Harry  Allison  Archibald,  mechanical  engineer,  born  at 
Musquodoboit,  April  26,  1875;  educated  Wolfville  High 
School,  Horton  Academy,  and  Acadia  University;  withdrew 
three  months  before  graduation  to  take  a  practical  course 
in  mechanical  engineering.  Address,  Vancouver,  British 
Columbia. 

Etta  J.  Yuill  (an  Archibald),  born  atGreat  Village, 
Nova  Scotia,  July  7,  1868;  graduated,  1897;  teacher  public 
school,  Wolfville,  1897- 1905;  teacher,  Penticton,  B.  C,  1907. 
B.A.,  Acadia,  1897.    Address,  Great  Village,  or  Penticton. 

Arthur  Crawley  Archibald,  born  at  Osborne,  Nova 
Scotia,  August  15,  1878;  graduated,  1897;  pastor  First  Bap- 
tist Church,  Brockton,  Mass.,  1907.  B.A.,  Acadia,  1897; 
M.A.,  1904.    Address,  15  Columbia  Street,  Brockton. 

Mabel  Evangeline  Archibald,  born  at  Bloomingdale, 
Illinois;  graduated,  1895;  teacher  of  elocution,  French  and 
German,  DeMille  Ladies'  College,  St.  Catherines,  Ontario, 
1895-1897;  Missionary  to  the  Telugus,  India,  under  the 
Foreign  Mission  Board  of  the  Maritime  Baptist  Convention, 
1897.  B.A.,  Acadia,  1895;  M.A.,  1906.  Address,  Chicacole, 
Madras  Presidency,  India. 

Rosamond  Mansfield  Archibald,  born  at  Truro,  Nova 
Scotia,  November  17,  1882;  graduated,  1904;  post-graduate 
work  at  Acadia,  1904- 1905;  instructor  in  Horton  Collegiate 
Academy  and  librarian  of  Acadia  University,  1905-1906; 
post-graduate  student  at  Smith  College,  1906- 1907;  teacher 
of  English,  Ferry  Hall,  Lake  Forest,  Illinois,  1907-1908; 
teacher,  Wolfville,  Nova  Scotia,  1908.  B.A.,  Acadia,  1904; 
M.A.,  1905;  B.A.,  Smith  College,  1907;  M.A.,  1908.  Ad- 
dress, Wolfville,  Nova  Scotia. 

Edgar  Spinney  Archibald,  born  at  Yarmouth,  May  12, 

433 


HOME-MAKING  AND  ITS  PHILOSOPHY 


1885;  graduated,  1905;  student  of  agriculture  at  Nova  Scotia 
Agricultural  College  and  at  Ontario  Agricultural  College, 
Guelph,  1 905- 1 908;  teacher,  Nova  Scotia  Agricultural  Col- 
lege, 1909.  B.A.,  Acadia,  1905.  Address,  Truro,  Nova 
Scotia. 

Ryland  McGregor  Archibald,  born  at  Truro,  Nova 
Scotia,  April  1,  1879;  graduated,  1900;  in  mercantile  life  in 
Truro  since  graduation;  B.A.,  Acadia,  1900.  Address, 
Truro. 

A.  G.  Archibald,  Vancouver,  says:  "My  father,  Lewis 
William  Archibald,  spent  some  time  in  the  California  gold 
fields  in  the  early  fifties,  coming  from  there  to  New  West- 
minster, B.  C,  where  he  resided  for  a  few  years,  and 
when  the  gold  excitement  broke  out  in  Caribou  in  '58,  he 
joined  the  rush  by  canoe  and  pack  trail  to  Caribou;  mined 
on  Williams  Creek  for  two  years  with  varied  success.  From 
Saskatchewan  he  moved  to  Fort  Garry.  My  father  was 
one  of  the  men  taking  sides  against  Riel  in  his  first  rebel- 
lion. He  was  held  as  a  prisoner  by  Riel  for  ninety-five 
days.  Shortly  after  the  rebellion  he  took  up  land  at  Spring- 
field adjoining  Fort  Gerry,  and  went  into  farming.  There 
he  married  my  mother,  Josephine  Campbell,  from  West 
Bay,  Cape  Breton,  and  there  I  was  born,  August  20th, 
1880." 

John  William  Bertram  Archibald  of  Carnegie,  Ontario, 
son  of  Edward  Archibald,  who  was  son  of  William  Archi- 
bald of  Musquodoboit. 


434 


CHAPTER  IV 


SOME  FAMILY  CORRESPONDENCE 

A  letter  written  by  Charles  Archibald,  of  Strange, 
Ontario,  Canada,  to  the  author: 

The  story  of  how  my  great-grandfather  came  to  leave  Scotland  and 
come  to  America  is  as  follows:  My  great-great-grandfather  was  professor 
of  mathematics  in  Edinburgh  University.  His  son,  John  Archibald,  was 
my  great-grandfather,  who  emigrated  in  1740.  He  was  apprenticed  to  a 
cheese  maker,  who  scarcely  supplied  him  with  sufficient  food.  While 
working  with  the  cheese  curd  he  would  take  a  lump  of  the  curd  to  eat, 
which  his  master  reported  to  his  father,  who  in  turn  gave  him  a  whipping 
for  taking  the  curd  without  permission.  He  felt  this  treatment  to  be  un- 
just and  resolved  to  quietly  leave  his  master,  so  he  embarked  aboard  a 
British  man-of-war  bound  for  New  York,  and  on  arrival  he  slipped  away 
from  the  ship  and  the  crew.  He  made  a  home  at  Fishkill,  New  York, 
until  the  War  of  Independence  broke  out.  At  this  period  he  appears  to 
have  been  the  owner  of  a  large  farm  about  the  forks  of  the  Delaware  River 
and  near  the  city  of  Philadelphia.  His  patriotism  was  divided  between 
the  Royalists  and  the  Revolutionists  and  his  home.  While  working  in 
the  fields  he  was  shot  at  several  times  by  an  enemy  among  the  Rebel 
soldiers.  Measuring  up  the  situation  he  resolved  to  leave  the  place.  He 
left  his  wife  and  family  on  the  farm,  and  joined  the  Royalists.  Later 
while  out  on  a  scouting  expedition  he  was  taken  prisoner,  handcuffed  and 
marched  between  two  soldiers.  When  night  came  on,  while  going  through 
a  very  dark  forest  he  made  a  dash  for  liberty  among  the  trees.  Shots  were 
fired  after  him,  but  missed.  He  dropped  to  the  ground  quietly,  while 
they  searched  around  for  him,  at  times  being  very  close  to  him.  After  the 
search  was  given  up  and  they  had  gone  beyond  his  hearing,  he  started 
in  the  darkness  and  wandered  for  some  hours,  but  again  lay  down  to  wait 
for  daylight.  When  morning  came  he  felt  himself  to  be  lost  and  knew 
not  where  to  go  for  safety,  or  how  to  get  the  irons  off  his  wrists.  Wet, 
hungry  and  benumbed  with  the  cold,  he  decided  to  trust  to  Providence  and 
go  to  one  of  the  houses  he  could  see.  Fortunately  for  him  he  met  with 
sympathizers,  and  the  women  filed  the  handcuffs  off,  and  he  found  his 
way  home.  He  left  one  son,  Jesse,  to  take  care  of  the  farm,  and  with 
his  wife  and  the  rest  of  the  family  went  as  United  Empire  Loyalists  to 
Digby  Point,  Nova  Scotia,  where  they  lived  temporarily.  After  the  war 
was  ended  he  and  his  wife  started  back  to  the  old  home  on  the  Delaware 
to  look  after  their  affairs  and  meet  Jesse  again,  but  left  the  remaining 
children  on  Digby  Point.  The  ship  they  sailed  in  was  wrecked  in  the 
Bay  of  Fundy  and  they  were  never  heard  from  again.  One  of  the  boys, 
named  John,  migrated  from  Nova  Scotia  to  Ontario  in  1811.    He  came  to 

435 


HOME-MAKING  AND  ITS  PHILOSOPHY' 


Toronto  and  took  up  land  in  township  of  Vaughn,  York  County,  where 
he  died  in  1842.  The  house  he  built  is  still  standing,  and  is  the  house  in 
which  my  father,  David  Archibald,  was  born  in  1814.  It  was  built  of 
elm  logs.  My  grandfather  was  buried  in  the  Methodist  cemetery  on  the 
farm,  and  this  land  and  church  site  he  donated  to  the  church  society. 
Grandfather  was  most  noted  as  a  hard-working,  industrious  farmer. 
His  open-hearted  benevolence  was  characteristic  of  him. 

The  trail  through  the  woods  passed  by  his  farm  to  the  townships. 
Settlers  passed  this  way  to  their  homesteads,  and  when  benighted,  his 
invariable  practice  was  to  keep  them  all  night  and  feed  their  horses  or 
cattle  free  of  charge.  He  was  ever  ready  to  help  the  needy.  After  my 
grandfather's  death,  my  father  traded  his  share  in  the  old  farm  for  fifty 
acres  in  the  township  of  King.  My  father  was  the  youngest  and  main- 
tained his  parents  until  their  decease.  He  died  in  1893,  survived  by  seven 
children  out  of  ten.  He  was  successful  in  his  undertakings,  and  before  the 
union  of  the  Methodist  bodies  in  Canada  was  a  Primitive  Methodist  and 
local  preacher. 

Letter  to  the  author  from  his  son,  Harry  A.  Archibald, 
written  from  Vancouver,  B.  C,  October  6,  1909: 

I  have  your  most  welcome  letter,  and  read  and  reread  it  with  great 
pleasure;  doubly  so  because  I  am  so  far  away  from  home  and  all  the  dear 
ones.  I  find  that  we  do  not  know  how  to  appreciate  the  company  of  those 
we  love  until  we  get  so  far  away  from  them.  I  am  working  hard  but  have 
not  got  a  really  good  situation  yet.  By  this  I  mean  a  situation  which  is  to 
my  liking.  The  people  I  am  with  are  good  straight  men,  who  are  doing 
all  they  can  to  get  me  what  I  want,  and  are  using  me  well.  I  think  I  told 
you  that  they  were  friends.  That  must  be  an  interesting  work  you  are 
writing;  and  in  many  cases  would  be  pretty  nearly  a  history  of  develop- 
ment of  parts  of  Nova  Scotia,  if  I  have  been  correctly  informed. 

This  is  the  third  day  of  a  rainstorm  here,  but  in  between  the  showers 
to-day  the  sun  shone  out,  and  on  the  mountains  a  few  miles  away  from 
here,  six  miles  up,  we  could  see  it  fall  there  as  snow.  Snow  is  something 
which  is  very  seldom  seen  in  Vancouver,  but  can  be  seen  the  year  round  on 
the  mountains  from  nearly  all  points  in  the  city.  They  call  the  winters 
cold  here,  but  when  you  see  water  pipes  buried  from  six  to  eighteen  inches 
only,  and  the  plumbing  exposed,  often  on  the  outside  of  the  houses,  you 
can  readily  see  it  is  not  really  cold.  The  grass  is  green  the  year  round 
in  the  city  and  close  surrounding  country,  but  on  the  mountains  five  or 
six  miles  away  it  is  a  different  story.  But  all  along  the  coast,  which  is 
washed  by  the  Japan  current,  the  weather  is  mild  in  winter  and  com- 
paratively cool  in  summer — none  of  the  extremes  we  are  so  used  to  on  the 
Atlantic  seaboard.  A  very  live  question  here  is  that  of  Asiatic  immigra- 
tion, which  an  Easterner  can  hardly  understand  and  even  then  does  not 
look  upon  it  as  being  so  vitally  important  as  the  people  here.    Even  yet  I 

436 


SOME  FAMILY  CORRESPONDENCE 


can  not  get  up  the  same  enthusiasm  on  the  subject  as  those  who  have  been 
here  longer,  and  besides  the  Oriental  does  not  interfere  with  my  work, — 
while  he  does  in  many  lines.  But  I  am  of  the  opinion  that  the  so-called 
"yellow  peril"  is  something  which  the  whole  world  will  have  to  face  in  the 
very  near  future. 

The  Oriental  lives  cheaper  and  works  cheaper  than  the  white.  He 
is  a  good  worker  and  is  also  very7  industrious,  quick  to  pick  up  our  ways  and 
methods.  More  especially  is  this  true  of  the  Japanese.  Even  now, 
Japanese  goods  are  being  imported  here  cheaper  than  we  can  manufacture. 
The  Japanese  are  aggressive  in  a  business  way.  Here  thev  own  much 
propertv  and  carrv  on  a  tremendous  amount  of  business.  Thev  try  hard 
to  accommodate  themselves  to  our  ways  and  methods,  and  are  succeeding 
surprisingly  well,  notwithstanding  all  reports  to  the  contrary.  The 
Chinaman  is  somewhat  different.  He  still  wears  his  coolie  garb,  keeps 
to  himself  as  much  as  possible  and  as  far  as  possible  keeps  his  own  customs. 
But  he  too  is  a  good,  quiet,  faithful  worker,  a  very  cheap  liver,  and  owns 
a  lot  of  property  in  the  city,  and  farms  in  the  close  inlying  countrv — market 
gardening  and  green  truck.  The  Hindoo  is  another  Oriental  element 
here,  but  of  far  less  immediate  value,  as  there  are  so  comparatively  few 
of  them,  and  of  course  you  know  how  our  immigration  laws  are  now  as 
regards  Orientals.  The  Hindoo  is  at  present  out  of  his  element  here. 
He  despises  the  Chinese,  and  the  whites  will  have  none  of  him.  The 
Japs  also  will  not  associate  with  him.  All  are  intelligent  and  in  their  wav 
handv,  capable  and  industrious,  although  when  unused  to  our  ways 
ineffective  and  often  awkward;  but  all  have  the  knack  of  adapting  them- 
selves. All  have  their  newspapers,  printed  here  in  the  city.  Most  of  them 
have  not  the  same  brute  strength  or  muscle  of  our  people,  but  when  thev 
live  on  a  diet  calculated  to  build  muscle  and  physical  strength,  I  will 
leave  you  to  guess  where  the  whites  are  going  to  fit  in  in  the  next  fifty 
years  or  so. 

The  labor  element,  the  trades  and  labor  council  on  the  whole  Pacific 
seaboard,  is  verv  much  alarmed  and  worked  up  over  the  outlook,  and  with 
good  cause.  But  what  can  they  do  ?  China  with  four  hundred  million, 
India  with  three  hundred  million,  Japan  with  fortv-five  million,  what  can 
the  white  world  interpose  that  can  stop  the  predominance  of  Orientals  ? 
It  looks  to  me  as  if  thev  might  as  well  save  their  breath,  for  the  Orient 
is  awake  and  will  win  out  bv  endurance  and  weight  of  numbers.  I  forgot 
to  mention  that  a  verv  large  part  of  shipping  on  the  Pacific  is  in  Japanese 
bottoms,  and  they  are  crowding  the  United  States'  flag  in  the  Pacific 
Ocean. 

Dear  little  Allison — vour  only  grandson  and  our  only  child.  I  miss 
him  so  much!  He  is  such  a  bright  little  fellow.  His  picture  ought  to 
make  quite  a  good  cut.  He  still  has  his  baby  beauty  and  with  it  the  keen 
look  that  comes  with  the  awakening  faculties. 

I  have  been  letting  my  pen  run  and  have  written  as  I  would  have  talked 
had  we  been  together,  and  the  remarks  are  probably  disjointed. 


437 


HOME-MAKING  AND  ITS  PHILOSOPHY 


Letter  to  the  author  from  his  son  Harry,  written  from 
Vancouver,  B.  C,  December  6,  1909: 

Your  very  welcome  letter  of  October  18  was  received  about  two  weeks 
ago.  I  finally  got  it  from  another  Archibald  in  town,  whom  I  got  ac- 
quainted with  in  a  business  way.  I  have  no  post  office  box  here  as  yet. 
Box  366  is  owned  by  some  friends  and  I  get  my  mail  through  them.  Am 
also  in  receipt  of  your  letter  written  from  home  in  Halifax.  My  time  and 
opportunities  for  looking  up  data  on  the  article  you  wish  are  very  limited. 
I  have  made  several  efforts  to  get  data  and  information  through  real  estate 
agents  here  in  Vancouver,  but  their  information  on  fruit  growing  I  would 
judge  would  better  be  called  misinformation.  Am  trying  to  get  a  map  such 
as  I  think  would  interest  you;  such  a  map  I  cannot  find  here  in  this  city, 
but  the  Okanagan  Valley  is  the  chief  fruit-growing  district,  followed  by  the 
Similkameen  Valley.  I  mailed  to  your  address  in  St.  John  a  copy  of  the 
"World"  which  I  am  told  contains  the  most  information  on  the  subject 
of  anything  yet  printed.  Have  also  sent  you  a  copy  of  a  Spokane  paper 
called  "Opportunity"  which  has  an  article  on  the  apple  situation  in  the 
State  of  Washington,  where  natural  conditions  are  almost  identical  with 
the  fruit-growing  districts  of  British  Columbia.  There  is  also  another 
district  near  Vancouver  which  is  being  opened  up  by  rail  this  fall,  called 
Chilliwack,  which  is  a  fine  farming  country  and  produces  good  fruit,  at 
least  for  here.  Chilliwack  is  in  the  valley  of  the  Fraser  River.  All  the 
fruit-growing  districts  here  are  in  valleys,  with  quite  an  amount  of  eleva- 
tion above  sea  level.  Generally  speaking,  these  valleys  run  north  and 
south. 

The  Rocky  Mountains  are  or  were  volcanic  and  near  here  are  several 
mountains  which  still  carry  a  cloud  or  cap — Mt.  Baker,  Mt.  Rainier  and 
others.  The  fruit  lands  are  of  two  kinds, — those  naturally  watered  and 
those  requiring  irrigation,  and  there  are  many  schemes  in  Washington, 
Oregon  and  in  British  Columbia  for  irrigating  fruit-bearing  lands.  Here 
in  British  Columbia  they  claim  the  land  requires  watering  twice  a  year, 
in  the  spring  and  in  midsummer,  for  the  mountains  between  the  valley 
and  the  sea  effectually  shut  off  the  rain,  the  moisture  in  the  clouds  being 
deposited  on  the  mountain  peaks  as  rain  and  snow;  although  in  winter 
it  is  said  that  there  is  a  light  fall  of  fine,  dry  snow,  but  as  the  air  is  quiet 
it  never  drifts,  and  in  the  spring  when  the  chinook  winds  blow  down  the 
valley  the  snow  simply  melts  away  and  vanishes.  The  formation  of  the 
soil,  as  I  understand  it,  is — on  top  lies  alluvium  and  detritus,  washed  down 
from  the  mountain  sides  through  long  time.  Immediately  under  this  are 
the  volcanic  ashes,  under  this  volcanic  rock — porous — all  lying  over  the 
general  formation  of  the  Rocky  Mountain  chain.  This  formation  readily 
affords  drainage  which  does  not  require  much  ditching,  and  gives  depth 
and  strength  to  the  soil.  A  peculiarity  which  I  have  noticed  here  is  the 
almost  entire  absence  of  hard-wood  trees;  although  a  few  soft  maples  are 
found,  oak,  beech  and  birch  are  seldom  met  with.    Further  north  in 

438 


SOME  FAMILY  CORRESPONDENCE 


Alaska,  I  am  told  by  those  who  have  travelled  the  country,  there  are  large 
and  extensive  forests  of  white  birch,  and  from  their  descriptions  these 
birches  are  larger,  taller  and  straighter  than  in  the  Atlantic  provinces. 
In  summer  the  weather  is  cooler  than  in  Nova  Scotia,  as  the  breezes  come 
off  the  ocean  or  mountain  peaks  and  are  always  cool.  The  winters  are 
much  warmer,  although  in  Vancouver  we  have  much  rain  in  the  winter. 
Almost  any  day  here  now,  when  it  is  clear  enough,  one  can  see  the  snow 
storms  raging  on  the  mountain  sides.  Am  wearing  the  same  clothing  I 
wore  all  summer,  although  an  overcoat  is  in  order,  especially  in  the  even- 
ings. They  claim  it  is  the  usual  order  of  things  here  to  use  the  same  weight 
and  amount  of  bed  clothing  the  year  round.  This  will  show  the  compara- 
tively small  amount  of  temperature  variation — nothing  like  our  sixteen  ta 
ninety-eight  degrees. 

The  fruit  I  have  seen  is  larger  and  better  colored  than  with  us,  although 
it  does  not  have  the  flavor  we  look  for  and  tastes  kind  of  insipid — flat,  or 
perhaps  more  nearly  right,  lacking  in  taste  and  flavor.  It  is  not  much 
longer  between  blossom  and  maturity  than  with  us,  but  everything  here 
seems  to  take  its  own  time  in  growing.  Another  thing  that  strikes  one  here 
is  the  remarkably  clean  skin  on  the  fruit — none  of  those  scabs,  spots,  or 
sun  burns,  or  bee  stings  we  are  so  accustomed  to.  When  one  sees  native 
fruit  alongside  that  from  Ontario  in  the  fruit  stores  here  the  difference  is 
more  than  noticeable;  it  is  not  a  difference,  it  is  a  gulf  or  chasm.  The 
Eastern  product  is  puny  and  diseased.  In  comparison  it  is  like  a  yellow 
crabapple  alongside  of  an  exhibition  King  of  Tompkins,  and  the  king 
taken  from  the  king  row  in  barrel.  Whether  this  freedom  from  disease 
is  on  account  of  the  climate,  the  change  of  climate,  or  the  sun,  or  because 
the  plagues  have  not  reached  here,  I  cannot  say;  but  the  fruit  is  here  and 
they  sell  it  in  the  stores  for  two  dollars  and  fifty  cents,  to  two  dollars  and 
seventy-five  cents  per  box.  But  I  must  say  the  boxes  have  not  increased 
in  size,  as  one  would  expect  to  see  in  this  country  when  they  claim  every- 
thing is  on  a  large  scale.  At  retail  the  apples  sell  for  three  pounds  for 
twenty-five  cents,  and  the  ones  you  can  buy  two  for  five  cents  are  pretty 
measly — culls.  I  saw  pears  from  Summerland,  British  Columbia  (that 
is  in  the  Okanagan)  retailing  for  one  dollar  per  dozen.  I  saw  turnips 
the  other  day  from  Lulu  Island — that  is  in  the  Fraser  Delta — that  were 
too  large  to  go  into  a  Yankee  bucket.  With  these  turnips  were  potatoes 
to  match.  I  expect  they  were  specimens,  especially  selected.  They  were 
in  the  window  of  a  real  estate  office.  As  I  told  you  earlier  it  is  difficult 
for  me  to  get  accurate  information,  for  many  of  the  real  estate  men  were 
accurately  described  by  King  David,  when  he  lost  his  temper.  The  fruit 
dealers — -mostly  foreigners,  Greeks  and  Italians — were  never  noted  for 
veracity,  and  I  have  not  come  into  touch  yet  with  any  of  the  growers.  I 
have  not  had  either  time  or  opportunity  and  it  may  be  a  little  while  before 
I  do.  Am  very  glad  you  were  to  see  Joe  and  Allison.  It  will  be  good  for 
them.  I  miss  them  so  much,  and  the  little  chap  is  at  such  an  interesting 
age,  and  he  is  so  bright.    Joe  writes  me  she  enjoyed  the  extracts  you  read 

439 


HOME-MAKING  AND  ITS  PHILOSOPHY 


her  very  much.  She  says  it  is  well  written  and  the  English  is  beautiful, 
and  she  is  a  judge.    Few  women  have  the  knowledge  of  literature  she  has. 

I  like  this  West  beyond  anything  I  have  seen,  and  it  only  needs  to  have 
those  near  me  who  are  nearest  and  dearest  to  make  one  as  near  contented 
as  it  is  possible.  I  must  lay  this  aside.  Think  I  will  date  it  and  mail  it. 
Write  again  soon, 

Extracts  from  an  address  on  music  by  Mrs.  Harry  A. 
Archibald: 

"I  wonder  how  many  mothers,  as  they  sit  beside  the 
cradle  softly  singing  a  lullaby  to  the  restless  little  child,  give 
deep  or  earnest  thought  to  the  power  of  music  ?  Although 
none  doubt  its  power  to  soothe  the  babe  to  rest,  too  few 
realize  its  great  importance  in  home  life  and  training,  for 
apart  from  its  obvious  and  admitted  helpfulness  as  an  adjunct 
of  religious  worship,  as  a  vehicle  for  and  incentive  to  religious 
feeling,  it  is  also  a  source  of  great  joy  and  pleasure  for  old 
and  young  in  the  home. 

"What  more  helpful  way  of  passing  the  long  winter  even- 
ings than  in  contributing  and  listening  to  music.  I  believe 
that  music  has  a  vaster  future  before  it,  and  that  it  is  destined 
to  be  a  great  refiner,  recreator,  health-giver,  work-inspirer 
and  purifier  of  man's  life.  As  for  music  as  a  health-giver,  I 
have  seen  an  invalid  forget  pain  and  weariness  under  the 
stimulus  of  music;  I  have  seen  a  pale  cheek  flush  up,  a  dull 
eye  sparkle,  an  alertness  and  vigor  take  possession  of  the 
whole  frame,  and  animation  succeed  apathy.  What  does 
that  mean  ?  That  music  attacks  the  nervous  system  directly 
and  reaches  where  medical  treatment  can  neither  reach  nor 
rouse.  An  English  writer  and  musician  says,  'Music  will 
some  day  become  a  powerful  and  acknowledged  therapeutic. 
Music  is  not  only  a  body  healer,  it  is  a  mind  regulator.  The 
future  mission  of  music  is  the  discipline  of  emotion. '  While 
this  is  true,  I  also  believe  that  the  great  educational  function 
of  music  is  not  recognized  as  it  should  be.    It  should  have 

440 


SOME  FAMILY  CORRESPONDENCE 


2.  larger  place  in  all  schools,  public  or  otherwise.  The 
Greeks  laid  great  stress  on  gymnastics  and  music,  although 
it  was  not  music  as  we  understand  it  to-day,  still  they 
understood  how  sound  regulated  emotion,  and  no  gymna- 
sium, procession,  social  gathering  or  even  an  important 
oration  was  thought  complete  without  music.  Music  is 
bound,  when  properly  used,  to  train  us  in  the  exercise  of 
our  emotions,  and  the  Greeks  seem  to  have  understood 
this  thoroughly. 

"The  same  writer  before  quoted  says  further,  'Once  get 
people  together  by  the  power  of  music,  you  can  mould  them; 
one  closed  chamber  of  their  minds  after  another  might  be 
unlocked;  and  were  the  scheme  to  be  conducted  with  ability 
and  carefully  watched,  we  should  soon  hail  the  dawn  of  a 
new  era  of  popular  enlightenment  and  genial  instruction, 
combined  with  an  almost  boundless  variety  of  accessible, 
innocent  and  elevating  enjoyment.'  And  again  I  believe 
this  to  be  true,  and  would  urge  all  home-makers  and  all  those 
who  have  the  welfare  of  their  race  and  country  at  heart  to 
give  a  large  place  to  music  in  the  training  of  the  young." 

G.  H.  Archibald,  Sunday  School  World  Worker,  met  with 
some  hundreds  of  ministers  and  Sabbath  School  teachers, 
at  Dr.  Campbell  Morgan's  Bible  School  at  Mundesley. 
Last  year,  Mr.  Archibald  introduced  the  question  of  child 
study  to  the  ministers  in  a  series  of  very  helpful  addresses, 
and  this  year,  the  work  of  the  Sabbath  School  is  again  to 
be  brought  forward,  a  special  session  being  devoted  to 
the  subject  each  day.  Mr.  Archibald  is  a  son  of  the  late 
Thomas  Archibald,  merchant,  of  Halifax,  Nova  Scotia. 


441 


CHAPTER  V 


SOME  ARCHIBALD  HOMES 

IN  the  following  list  are  the  names  of  heads  of  families 
and  persons  over  twenty  years  of  age,  of  the  names 
Archibald,  Archbald,  and  Archbold,  arranged  in  alpha- 
betical order,  by  towns,  counties,  States  and  provinces  in 
North  America,  with  their  present  post  office  address. 

The  list  is  not  as  complete  as  could  be  desired.  The 
need  of  a  uniform  system  of  registration  throughout  the 
various  States  is  keenly  appreciated,  because  the  dearth  of 
these  vital  statistics  greatly  impedes  like  work  being  carried  to 
a  finish.  Another  difficulty  encountered  has  been  the  indiffer- 
ence of  families  in  responding  to  correspondence  regarding 
race  lineage.  This  apparent  apathy  to  genealogical  interests 
is  a  serious  evil  to  ourselves  and  hinders  race  progress.  Ob- 
servation proves  that  ready  response  comes  from  those  who 
by  isolation  among  strangers  feel  this  want  of  family  knowl- 
edge most.  This  basis  lies  deep  in  the  human  heart,  and 
is  fundamental  in  race  development. 

The  author  sincerely  thanks  all  persons  who  have 
assisted  in  preparing  this  part,  or  who  have  in  any  manner 
shown  interest  in  the  effort. 

The  names  as  printed  are  distributed  over  North  America 
by  families  as  here  tabulated:  Alabama,  8;  Alberta,  10; 
Arizona,  i;  British  Columbia,  62;  California,  18;  Colorado,  2; 
Connecticut,  8;  Florida,  4;  Georgia,  1;  Idaho,  1;  Illinois,  28; 
Indiana,  14;  Iowa,  1;  Maine,  20;  Manitoba,  28;  Massa- 
chusetts, 165;  Michigan,  1;  Minnesota,  13;  Missouri,  10; 
Montana,  6;  Nebraska,  6;  New  Brunswick,  24;  New  Hamp- 
shire, 2;  New  Jersey,  12;  New  York,  60;  Nova  Scotia,  225; 
Ohio,  2;  Ontario,  90;  Oregon,  1;  Pennsylvania,  17;  Prince 
Edward  Island,  1;  Quebec,  30;  Rhode  Island,  15;  Saskatch- 

442 


SOME  ARCHIBALD  HOMES 


ewan,  12;  Tennessee,  4;  Texas,  5;  Utah,  10;  Virginia,  1; 
Washington,  15;  Washington,  D.  C,  2;  Wisconsin,  3. 

The  following  letter  by  James  Archbald,  written  from 
Scranton,  Pa.,  June  3d,  1909,  is  published  for  its  historical 
setting  and  may  be  useful  to  others  who  are  seeking 
further  information. 

Yours  of  recent  date  addressed  to  my  son  Thomas  F.  has  been  handed 
to  me  to  answer,  as  I  am  the  one  who  has  kept  track  of  our  family.  The 
health  of  my  son,  who  was  a  professor  in  an  Ohio  college  where  I  graduated 
in  i860,  gave  out  two  years  ago,  and  he  has  only  been  busy  since  trying 
to  get  well,  which  I  am  glad  to  say  he  has  about  accomplished.  My 
grandmother  Archibald  was  a  minister's  daughter  named  Woodrow,  a 
historian,  and  after  her  father's  death  moved  upon  the  little  Cumbrae 
Island,  Buteshire,  Scotland,  in  the  mouth  of  the  Clyde.  There  she  met 
James  Archibald,  son  of  a  large  farmer,  who  lived  near  Dairy,  Ayrshire. 
This  island  was  one  of  the  leased  farms  rented  by  Mr.  Archibald  and 
used  to  pasture  sheep.  Grandmother  kept  a  diary,  and  about  1785  and 
1786  mentions  the  Archibald  coming  to  the  island.  Then  the  i  in  the 
name  is  dropped  and  she  writes  it  Archbald.  I  was  interested  to  know 
the  correct  spelling  and  so  went  to  the  Buteshire  records  and  found  that 
my  great-grandfather  was  married  to  Margaret  McTaggart  in  1 751  as 
James  Archbald;  married  again  in  1759  to  Isabel  Crawford  as  James 
Archbald.  Their  children  are  all  recorded  in  the  same  way,  so  I  judge 
we  are  entitled  to  that  spelling.  My  grandfather  took  the  island  after 
his  marriage,  August  4,  1789,  and  paid  about  $1000  a  year,  keeping 
it  until  March,  1807,  when  Lord  Elyinton  raised  the  rent  to  $1200.  Grand- 
father then  came  to  this  country  with  his  family  of  four  children.  They 
made  the  trip  in  twenty-five  days,  rested  a  few  days  in  New  York  City, 
then  went  to  Albany;  and  finally  located  at  the  mouth  of  the  Schohoin 
Creek,  forty  miles  west  of  Albany,  on  a  farm  where  they  lived  and  died. 
My  father  became  an  engineer,  built  that  part  of  the  Erie  Canal  which 
ran  through  his  farm,  and  afterwards,  in  1838,  was  the  engineer  in  charge 
between  Troy,  N.  Y.,  and  Frankfort,  in  the  employment  of  that  canal. 
In  1825  he  was  employed  in  building  the  Delaware  and  Hudson  Canal, 
and  after  1828  was  engineer  in  that  company's  service,  opening  their 
mines,  etc.,  being  with  that  company  until  1854,  except  during  1838. 
In  1854  he  was  vice  president  of  the  L.  S.  &  M.  S.  R.  R.  In  1855  he 
became  general  agent  of  the  D.  L.  &  W.  R.  R.  Co.  In  1864  he  became 
president  of  the  Lack.  &  Bloomburg  R.  R.  and  was  such  until  he  died 
in  1870.  My  father's  family  consisted  of  seven  children.  I  myself,  the 
third,  and  Robert  Woodrow,  the  youngest  (Judge  of  the  Federal  Court), 
are  the  only  ones  now  alive.  I  was  born  at  Sand  Lake,  twelve  miles  east 
of  Albany,  1838  (while  my  father  was  on  the  Erie  Canal  enlargement) 


443 


HOME-MAKING  AND  ITS  PHILOSOPHY 


near  Albany.  The  judge  was  born  in  1848.  Father's  eldest  sister, 
Margaret,  married  a  Van  Alstine.  His  other  sister  was  married  twice. 
The  youngest  child,  Patrick  Woodrow,  was  married  to  a  Miss  Catherine 
Stoner  and  their  children  are  scattered.  My  immediate  family  are  three 
boys  and  three  girls,  all  married  except  our  baby  girl.  We  have  a  large 
family  of  grandchildren.  I  have  been  actively  employed  in  building 
railroads  until  two  years  ago.  I  have  accumulated  a  reasonable  amount 
of  worldly  goods,  and  am  amusing  myself  now  looking  after  what  I  have 
got.  In  going  to  Europe  a  few  years  ago  I  met  a  Mr.  James  W.  Archibald 
of  Jacksonville,  Florida.  This  winter  while  in  that  city  I  called  on  him, 
and  we  had  a  very  pleasant  hour.  His  father  was  a  Scotchman  from  near 
Stirling.  His  name  was  James,  and  James  W.  to  distinguish  him  from 
his  father.  He  assumed  the  W.  Judge  Archbald  has  two  sons,  one  a 
lawyer  in  Philadelphia,  Robert  Woodrow;  the  other,  Hugh,  a  mining 
engineer  living  here. 

I  have  never  been  in  New  Brunswick,  but  it  is  more  than  possible  that 
I  shall  get  to  St.  John  this  summer.    I  travel  a  great  deal. 

Yours,  etc. 

JAMES  ARCHBALD. 


THE  ARCHBALD  LIST 


James  Archbald,  424  Jefferson  Ave., 

Scranton,  Pa. 
Rev.  Thomas  F.  Archbald,  Jefferson 

Ave.,  Scranton,  Pa. 
George  Archbald,  1921  Wayne  Ave., 

Scranton,  Pa. 
Hugh  Archbald,  236  Monroe  Ave., 

Scranton,  Pa. 
William  Archbald,  1919  Brick  Ave., 

Scranton,  Pa. 
Hall  Archbald,  304  West  Market 

Ave.,  Scranton,  Pa. 
Judge  Archbald,  Scranton,  Pa. 


Robert  Archbald,  Scranton,  Pa. 
Robert  W.  Archbald,  Philadelphia, 
Pa. 

Robert    W.    Archbald,    Jr.,  5207 

Archer  St.,  Germantown,  Pa. 
Frank  W.  Archbald,  1050  Lulu  Ave., 

Oakland,  Cal. 
John  R.  Archbald,  1050  Lulu  Ave., 

Oakland,  Cal. 
Harry  R.  Archbald,  S.  Pasadena,  Cal. 
Thomas  Archbald,  316  N.  26th  St., 

Billings,  Mon. 
Joseph  A.  Archbald,  Buffalo,  N.  Y. 


THE  ARCHIBALD  LIST 

DOMINION  OF  CANADA 


Alberta 

Archibald  Brothers,  Boundary  Creek. 
Alida  M.  Archibald,  Calgary. 
John  Archibald,  Calgary. 
Arthur  Archibald,  Edmonton. 
S,  C,  Archibald,  Ferry  Bank. 


Arthur  W.  Archibald,  Lochinvar. 
Judson  Arnold  Archibald,  Lochinvar. 
Cecil  Arthur  Archibald,  Lochinvar. 
Wallace  Rand  Archibald,  Lochinvar. 
Fred  Archibald,  Lochinvar. 
Dr.  Seymour  Archibald,  Strathcona. 


444 


SOME  ARCHIBALD  HOMES 


British  Columbia 
Alexander  Archibald,  714  Silica  St., 

Abbotsford. 
William  Archibald,  Hulder  St.,  Chil- 

liwack. 

Philip  Archibald,  Rett  River  Rd., 
Coquitlam. 

David  Archibald,  Fernie. 

Chester  Herbert  Archibald,  Green- 
wood. 

John  Gordon  Archibald,  Harrison 
Springs 

Ruben  Archibald,  Kelowna. 

Burrell  Archibald,  Kimberley. 

M.  C.  Archibald,  M.D.,  Kamloops. 

Archibald  Brothers,  New  West- 
minster. 

David  J.  Archibald,  New  West- 
minster. 

Alexander  L.  Archibald,  New  West- 
minster. 

Donald  M.  Archibald,  New  West- 
minster. 

John  M.  Archibald,  New  West- 
minster. 

Thomas   Dickson   Archibald,  New 

Westminster. 
William  Archibald,New  Westminster. 
David  D.  Archibald,  East  Barnaby, 

Westminster. 
Margaret   Archibald,   610   6th  St., 

New  Westminster. 
Harry  Archibald,  128  Queen  Ave., 

New  Westminster. 
David  Archibald,  311  6th  St.,  New 

Westminster. 
Belle  Archibald,  610  6th  St.,  New 

Westminster. 
Marion  Archibald,  610  6th  St.,  New 

Westminster. 

B.  W.  Archibald,  218  3d  St.,  New 
Westminster. 

C.  Archibald,  North  Vancouver. 
Rupert  Archibald,  North  Vancouver. 
William  F.  Archibald,  Nanaimo. 
Cyril  Isaac  Archibald,  Nelson. 


Hugh  W.  Archibald,  Potlach  Creek. 
Ruben  Archibald,  Summerland. 
Ernest  Donald  Archibald,  Squeam- 
ish. 

D.  Archibald,  Surry  Lynehead. 
Harry  Allison  Archibald,  Vancouver. 
Mr.  Archibald,  670  Hamilton  St., 

Vancouver. 
William  Alexander  Archibald,  670 

Hamilton  St.,  Vancouver. 
Harry  W.  Archibald,  670  Hamilton 

St.,  Vancouver. 
Captain  Archibald,  144  Cordova  St., 

Vancouver. 
Arthur  G.  Archibald,  941  Seymour 

St.,  Vancouver. 
Catherine  I.  Archibald,  941  Seymour 

St.,  Vancouver. 
A.  J.  Archibald,  710  Westminster 

Ave.,  Vancouver. 
Charles  B.  Archibald,  2425  2d  Ave., 

W.  Vancouver. 
Harry  P.  Archibald,  1030  Nelson  St., 

Vancouver. 
John  Archibald,  762  Richards  St., 

Vancouver. 
Hugh    Archibald,    Dougal  House, 

Vancouver. 
J.  Archibald,  220  Keefer  St.,  Van- 
couver. 

Asa  James  Archibald,  532  Prior  St., 

Vancouver. 
David   Archibald,    Empress  Hotel, 

Vancouver. 
Ernest  Donald  Archibald,  544  Bur- 

rad  St.,  Vancouver. 
Henry  P.  Archibald,  661  Howe  St., 

Vancouver. 
James  Archibald,  322  Abbott  St., 

Vancouver. 
Robie  Archibald,  313  Cambie  St., 

Vancouver. 
Fred   R.   Archibald,   Read  Island, 

Vancouver. 
Joseph  Parker  Archibald,  487  Su- 
perior St.,  Victoria. 


HOME-MAKING  AND  ITS  PHILOSOPHT 


Aubry  P.  Archibald,  487  Superior 

St.,  Victoria. 
William  Archibald,  487  Superior  St., 

Victoria. 

Walter  Roy  Archibald,  487  Superior 

St.,  Victoria. 
Marion  B.  Archibald,  Vernon. 
Mr.  Archibald,  Ymir. 

Manitoba 
C.  Archibald,  120  8th  St.,  Brandon. 
Isaac  Archibald,  Bradwardne. 
W.  Archibald,  Beresford. 
John  W.  B.  Archibald,  Carnegie. 
H.  M.  Archibald,  Carnegie. 
Harry  V.  Archibald,  Crystal  City. 
H.  J.  Archibald,  Elva. 
W.  W.  Archibald,  Killarney. 
Mrs.  A.  Archibald,  Melita. 

G.  W.  Archibald,  Melita. 
W.  J.  Archibald,  Maravilla. 

H.  Archibald,  St.  Anne. 
William  Archibald,  Wheatland. 

C.  Archibald,  120  8th  St.,  Winnipeg. 
Miss  Archibald,  211  Edmonton  St., 

Winnipeg. 
A.  S.  Archibald,  153  Burrows  St., 

Winnipeg. 
Frank  Archibald,  627  William  St., 

Winnipeg. 
James  W.  H.  Archibald,  627  William 

St.,  Winnipeg. 
Lucretia  Archibald,  427  William  St., 

Winnipeg. 
Minnie  Archibald,  627  William  St., 

Winnipeg. 
George  D.  Archibald,  90  Gertie  St., 

Winnipeg. 
George   H.   Archibald,   811  Union 

Bank,  Winnipeg. 
Heber  Archibald,   15   Roslyn  Rd., 

Winnipeg. 
James   Archibald,   778   Logan  St., 

Winnipeg. 
James  Archibald,  55  McAdam  St., 

Winnipeg, 


James  Archibald,  488  Magnus  St., 

Winnipeg. 
Margaret  Archibald,  61  Osborne  St., 

Winnipeg. 
Willis  S.  Archibald,  186  Walnut  St., 

Winnipeg. 

Ontario 
Alexander  Archibald,  Allen  Park. 
Louis  Archibald,  Allen  Park. 
John  Archibald,  Alma. 
Mrs.  Alice  Archibald. 
George  Archibald,  Aylmer. 
John   Archibald,   243   George  St., 

Belleville. 
William  Archibald,  W.  E.  Bank  St., 

Belleville. 
Andrew  Archibald,  Belleville. 
Benjamin  Archibald,  Bar  River. 
William  Archibald,  Colbeck. 
A.  H.  Archibald,  Colbeck. 
Edmund  Archibald,  Colbeck. 
John  Archibald,  Cannifton. 
Alexander  Archibald,  Crossland. 
R.  C.  Archibald,  Copper  Cliff. 
Mrs.    Christina    Archibald,  Dun- 

dalk. 

W.  R.  Archibald,  Egmondville. 
John  R.  Archibald,  Egmondville. 
James  Archibald,  Elora. 
David  Archibald,  Elmsvale. 
James  Archibald,  Fort  William. 
J.  W.  Archibald,  Fort  William. 
Andrew  Archibald,  Gore  Bay. 
Mrs.    J.    Archibald,    Lome  Ave., 

Hamilton. 
Lilly  Archibald,   279   McNab  St., 

Hamilton. 
William  F.  Archibald,  Norway  Ave., 

Hamilton. 
Mrs.  Annie  Archibald,  21  Benson 

St.,  Ingersoll. 
William  T.  Archibald,  King. 
David  H.  E.  Archibald,  King. 
Hugh  Archibald,  Kettleby. 
Jno.  Archibald,  Kettleby. 


SOME  ARCHIBALD  HOMES 


R.  M.  Archibald,  Kettleby. 
Thomas  Archibald,  Leadbury. 
Robert  Archibald,  Leadbury. 
John  Archibald,  Lucknow. 
Jacob  Archibald,  Marmora. 
John  Archibald,  Marksville. 
Wallace  Archibald,  Marksville. 
David  Archibald,  418^  Clarence  St., 
Ottawa. 

W.  P.  H.  Archibald,  25  Sparks  St., 

Ottawa. 
John  E.  Archibald,  Nobleton. 
George  Archibald,  Nobleton. 
Robert  C.  Archibald,  Nobleton. 
George  Archibald,  Newboro. 
James  Archibald,  New  Sarum. 
Alexander  W.  Archibald,  134  Hunter 

St.,  Peterboro. 
James  Archibald,  148  Rubridge  St., 

Peterboro. 
Mrs.  K.  Archibald,  Puce. 
William  J.  Archibald,  Parker. 
Robert  Archibald,  Parker. 
William  Archibald,  Seaforth. 
John  C.  Archibald,  Shelburne. 
David  Archibald,  Scudder. 
Charles  H.  Archibald,  Strange. 
Herbert  Archibald,  Strange. 
Thomas     Archibald,     Carton  St., 

St.  Catherines. 
William  Archibald,  Schomberg. 
Samuel  Archibald,  Schomberg. 
David  Archibald,  St.  Thomas. 
William  Archibald,  St.  Thomas. 
Albert  Archibald,  II   Barwick  St., 

St.  Thomas. 
Alexander  Archibald,  40  Afton  Ave., 

Toronto. 

Charles  S.  Archibald,  87  Woodlawn 
Ave.  W.,  Toronto. 

C.  Percy  Archibald,  87  Woodlawn 
Ave.  W.,  Toronto. 

Douglas  W.  Archibald,  87  Wood- 
lawn Ave.  W.,  Toronto. 

Lloyd  M.  Archibald,  87  Woodlawn 
Ave.  W,,  Toronto, 


Mrs.  Christina  Archibald,  10  Rath- 

nolly  St.,  Toronto. 
Garrett  A.  Archibald,  273  St.  George 

St.,  Toronto. 
David  i\rchibald,  273  St.  George  St., 

Toronto. 

Edward  B.  Archibald,  273  St.  George 

St.,  Toronto. 
Mrs.  Drusilla  Archibald,  17  Shep- 

pard  St.,  Toronto. 
Eldred  J.  Archibald,  64  Pembroke 

St.,  Toronto. 
James  P.  Archibald,  695  College  St., 

Toronto. 

John  W.  Archibald,  164  Beaconsfield 

St.,  Toronto. 
John   Archibald,    93    Howard  St., 

Toronto. 
William  R.  Archibald,  Toronto. 
Thomas  D.  Archibald,  M.D.,  507 

College  St.,  Toronto. 
William  Archibald,  82  Kenilworth 

St.,  Toronto. 
William  Archibald,  258  St.  Patricks 

St.,  Toronto. 
William  J.  Archibald,  275  St.  Pat- 
ricks St.,  Toronto. 
William   Y.   Archibald,   3  Carlton 

St.,  Toronto. 
Alexander  Archibald,  Tillbury. 
James  Archibald,  Tillbury. 
Rounding  Archibald,  Temperance- 

ville. 

Walter  J.  Archibald,  Udora. 
Moses  Archibald,  Windsor. 
Marcella  Archibald,  72  Lincoln  Rd., 

Walkerville. 
James  G.  Archibald,  42  Wellington 

St.,  Woodstock. 

Prince  Edward  Island 
Mrs.  P.  P.  Archibald,  Cavendish. 

Quebec 
Harry  Archibald,  Fraserville. 
Francis  Archibald,  Fraserville. 


447 


HOME-MAKING  AND  ITS  PHILOSOPHY 


Fred  Archibald,  Hull. 

John  Archibald,  Hull. 

Charles  E.  Archibald,  248  Prince 

Arthur  St.  W.,  Montreal. 
Edward    Archibald,     248  Prince 

Arthur  St.  W.,  Montreal. 
Albert  Archibald,  209  Quesnel  St., 

Montreal. 
Alexander  Archibald,  434  St.  Charles 

St.,  Montreal. 
Alfred  Archibald,  646A  Drolet  St., 

Montreal. 
C.  E.  Archibald,  871  Dorchester  St. 

W.,  Montreal. 

E.  B.  Archibald,  547  Dorchester  St. 
W.,  Montreal. 

Edward  Archibald,  M.D.,  190  Peel 
St.  W.,  Montreal. 

F.  Archibald,  1570  Esplanade  St.  W., 
Montreal. 

J.  E.  Archibald,  74  Colborne  St., 

Montreal. 
Hon.  J.  S.  Archibald,  113  Mackay 

St.,  Montreal. 
John  S.  Archibald,  59  Beaver  Hill 

St.,  Montreal. 
M.   J.  Archibald,   131A  Mansfield 

St.,  Montreal. 


Mrs.  L.  Archibald,  41 15  Sherbrooke 

St.,  Westmount. 
William  H.  Archibald,  50  Berthelet 

St.,  Montreal. 
William  Henry  Archibald,  709  St. 

Urbain  St.,  Montreal. 
William  Archibald,  81  St.  Matthew 

St.,  Montreal. 
James  Archibald,  Magog. 
Joseph  Archibald,  Montmorency. 
Charles  E.  Archibald,  Pointe  Claire. 
J.  B.  Archibald,  St.  Paul. 
D.  Archibald,  Windsor  Mills. 
Edward  Archibald,  Windsor  Mills. 
Gordon  Archibald,  Windsor  Mills. 

Saskatchewan 
G.  Archibald,  Bethune. 
James  Archibald,  Condie. 
Alexander  Archibald,  Condie. 
William  Archibald,  Maymount. 
William  Archibald,  Poplar  Grove. 
Henry  Archibald,  Poplar  Grove. 
Walter  Archibald,  Peacock. 
David  Archibald,  Regina. 
Charles  Archibald,  Regina. 
Jacob  L.  Archibald,  Saskatoon. 
Burton  A.  Archibald,  Saskatoon. 
Charles  Archibald,  Saskatoon. 


New  Brunswick 


Albert  County 
David  Archibald,  Albert. 

Carlton  County 
John  Archibald,  L.  Brighton. 
Rev.  A.  Archibald,  McKenzie  Cor. 

Gloucester  County 
John  J.  Archibald,  Bathurst. 
Henry  Archibald,  Bathurst. 

Kings  County 
C.  N.  Archibald,  Sussex. 

Northumberland  County 
John  Archibald,  Chatham. 
William  Archibald,  Chatham. 
John  Archibald,  Sr.,  Black  River. 
John  Archibald,  Jr.,  Black  River. 


Restigouche  County 
Alexander  Archibald,  Summerside. 
Charles  Archibald,  Robinsville. 
Michael  Archibald,  Robinsville. 
Donald  Archibald,  Archibald  Set. 
Robert  Archibald,  Archibald  Set. 
Hugh  Archibald,  Archibald  Set. 
Hugh  Archibald,  Shannonville. 
James  J.  Archibald,  Flatland. 
Edgar  Archibald,  St.  John  City. 
L  Frank  Archibald,  113  Queen. 
Mrs.  M.  M.  Archibald,  St.  John  City. 

Westmoreland  County 
P.  S.  Archibald,  Moncton. 
Charles  E.  Archibald,  Petticodiac. 


448 


SOME  ARCHIBALD  HOMES 


Nova 

Antigonish  County 

L.  C.  Archibald,  Antigonish. 
William  S.  Archibald,  Antigonish. 

Colchester  County 

Charles  W.  Archibald,  Beaver  Brook. 
George  Archibald,  Brookside. 
Thomas  L.  Archibald,  Brookside. 
Harvey  Archibald,  Cen.  Stewiacke. 
A.  G.  Archibald,  Dartville. 
James  Archibald,  Dartville. 
John  H.  Archibald,  E.  Mountain. 
John  S.  Archibald,  E.  Mountain. 
Rupert  Archibald,  Eastville. 
Edson  Archibald,  Great  Village. 
Fulton  Archibald,  Great  Village. 
Blanchard  Archibald,  Hilden. 
John  H.  Archibald,  Harmony. 
John  L.  Archibald,  Harmony. 
Wellington  Archibald,  Harmony. 
Thomas  Archibald,  Harmony. 
Alfred  Archibald,  Kemptown. 
Elisha  Archibald,  Kemptown. 
Samuel  P.  Archibald,  Kemptown. 
George  R.  Archibald,  L.  Stewiacke. 
John  McD.  Archibald,  L.  Stewiacke. 
Adelbert  D.  Archibald,  Old  Barns. 
Walker  Archibald,  Old  Barns. 
Alfred  W.  Archibald,  Old  Barns. 
Edgar  S.  Archibald,  Old  Barns. 
Edmund  Archibald,  Old  Barns. 
Simon  H.  Archibald,  Old  Barns. 
W.  Robinson  Archibald,  Old  Barns. 
Harvey  Archibald,  South  Branch. 
James  Archibald,  Stewiacke. 
John  H.  Archibald,  Stewiacke. 
Mrs.  John  Archibald,  Southvale. 
A.  D.  Archibald,  Truro. 
Andrew  Archibald,  Truro. 
A.  A.  Archibald,  Truro. 
A.  G.  Archibald,  Truro. 
A.  Kent  Archibald,  Truro. 
Alexander  L.  Archibald,  Truro. 
Alice  Archibald,  Truro, 


Scotia 

Blair  Archibald,  Truro. 
Carl  Archibald,  Truro. 
Charles  Archibald,  Truro. 
Charles  A.  Archibald,  Truro. 
Carrie  P.  Archibald,  Truro. 
Clark  Archibald,  Truro. 
Cyrus  W.  Archibald,  Truro. 
David  Archibald,  Truro. 
Eli  Archibald,  Truro. 
Elizabeth  Archibald,  Truro. 
Mrs.  C.  B.  Archibald,  Truro. 
Frank  Archibald,  Truro. 
Fred  O.  Archibald,  Truro. 
Fred  K.  Archibald,  Truro. 
Foster  P.  Archibald,  Truro. 

F.  O.  Archibald,  Truro. 

G.  G.  Archibald,  Truro. 
Harry  Archibald,  Truro. 
Harry  C.  Archibald,  Truro. 
Isaac  Archibald,  Truro. 

I.  Frank  Archibald,  Truro. 

James  Archibald,  Truro. 

Mrs.  Jane  Archibald,  Truro. 

John  Archibald,  Truro. 

John  C.  Archibald,  Truro. 

J.  Ross  Archibald,  Truro. 

Luther  B.  Archibald,  Truro. 

Lewis  Archibald,  Truro. 

Laurie  Archibald,  Truro. 

L.  E.  Archibald,  Truro. 

Mattie  K.  Archibald,  Truro. 

Marshall  Archibald,  Truro. 

Millard  Archibald,  Truro. 

Nettie  E.  Archibald,  Truro. 

Ocenia  Archibald,  Truro. 

P.  McG.  Archibald,  Truro. 

Ryland  Archibald,  Truro. 

Robert  B.  Archibald,  Truro. 

Ross  Archibald,  Truro. 

Rupert  F.  Archibald,  Truro. 

R.  S.  Archibald,  Truro. 

Willis  Archibald,  Truro. 

William  F.  Archibald,  Truro. 

Jacob  Archibald,  Valley  Station. 

Alexander  Archibald,  Valley  Station. 


HOME-MAKING  AND  ITS  PHILOSOPHY 


Cumberland  County 
Mrs.  Dimock  L.  Archibald,  Amherst. 
T.  A.  Archibald,  Amherst. 
Allen  Archibald,  Amherst. 
N.  F.  Archibald,  Amherst. 

D.  F.  Archibald,  Athol. 
Ephraim  Archibald,  Hansford. 
Gordon  Archibald,  Springhill. 
David  Archibald,  Malagash. 
Asa  Archibald,  Wallace. 

Cape  Breton  County 
Blowers  Archibald,  North  Sydney. 
W.  H.  Archibald,  North  Sydney. 

E.  M.  Archibald,  North  Sydney. 
George  E.  Archibald,  Sydney. 
Harry  Archibald,  Sydney. 

M.  B.  Archibald,  Sydney. 
Charles  Archibald,  Glace  Bay. 
W.  B.  Archibald,  Glace  Bay. 
Isaac  Archibald,  Leitches  Creek. 
W.  H.  Archibald,  Sydney  Mines. 
Arthur  Archibald,  Sydney  Mines. 

F.  Archibald,  Sydney  Mines. 

Digby  County 
C.  C.  Archibald,  M.D.,  CM.,  Bear 
River. 

Rev.  A.  J.  Archibald,  Digby. 

Guysboro  County 
A.  Fisher  Archibald,  Denver. 
Henry  Archibald,  Denver. 
Howard  Archibald,  Denver. 
John  A.  Archibald,  Goldenville. 
A.  D.  Archibald,  Glenelg. 
A.  G.  Archibald,  Glenelg. 
John  C.  Archibald,  Glenelg. 
W.  C.  Archibald,  Glenelg. 
Maria  Archibald,  Glenelg. 
David  Archibald,  Forrest  Hill. 
Isaac  Archibald,  Lochaber. 
John  T.  Archibald,  Newton. 
Robert  Archibald,  Newton. 
William  H.  Archibald,  Newton. 


David  Archibald,  Stillwater. 
Ernest  Archibald,  Stillwater. 
John  C.  Archibald,  Stillwater. 
William  A.  Archibald,  Stillwater. 
John  Archibald,  Smithfield. 
William  J.  Archibald,  Smithfield. 
James  C.  Archibald,  Smithfield. 
William  A.  Archibald,  Sonora. 

Halifax  County 
Roy  E.  Archibald,  Bedford. 
Ralph  Archibald,  Bedford. 
Joseph  Archibald,  Bedford. 
Andrew  Archibald,  Bedford. 
Morton  Archibald,  C.  Musquodoboit. 
Adam  Archibald,  C.  Musquodoboit. 
James  Archibald,  C.  Musquodoboit. 
John  Archibald,  C.  Musquodoboit. 
Stanley  Archibald,  C.  Musquodoboit. 
Warren  Archibald,  C.  Musquodoboit. 
Leander  Archibald,  C.  Musquodoboit. 
Henry  Archibald,  Dartmouth. 
Edgar  Archibald,  Elmsvale. 
William  J.  Archibald,  Glenmore. 
Henry  Archibald,  Glenmore. 
William  Archibald,  2d,  Glenmore. 
Munroe  Archibald,  Harrigans  Cove. 

City  of  Halifax 
Charles  Archibald,  Halifax. 
Clarence  A.  Archibald,  63  Maynard. 
Frank  R.  Archibald,  28  N.  Bland. 
J.  Ross  Archibald,  9  Inglis. 
L.  G.  Archibald,  279  Gottingen. 
Lewis  G.  Archibald,  16  Harvey. 
Louis  Archibald,  63  Maynard. 
Martin  W.  Archibald,  14  Wright  Ave. 
Mary  Archibald,  130  Maitland. 
Parker  G.  Archibald,  36  Victoria  Rd. 
Richard  L.  Archibald,  N.  W.  Arm. 
Sadie  M.  Archibald,  28  N.  Bland. 
Samuel  F.  Archibald,  28  N.  Bland. 

David  W.  Archibald,  Sheet  Harbor. 
Eldridge  Archibald,  Sheet  Harbor. 
Ellen  Hall  Archibald,  Sheet  Harbor. 


450 


SOME  ARCHIBALD  HOMES 


David  Archibald,  U.  Musquodoboit. 
G.    Archibald,    M.D.,  U.  Musquo- 
doboit. 

Neil  Archibald,  U.  Musquodoboit. 
Jonathan    Archibald,   L .  Musquo- 
doboit. 

Jessie  Archibald,  U.  Musquodoboit. 
Jennie  Archibald,  U.  Musquodoboit. 
Man*  Archibald,  U.  Musquodoboit. 
Peter   G.   Archibald,   U.  Musquo- 
doboit. 

Samuel  Archibald,  U.  Musquodoboit. 
Sydney  Archibald,  U.  Musquodoboit. 
Wm.    Archibald,   3d,   U.  Musquo- 
doboit. 

Hants  County 
Hiram  D.  Archibald,  Hartville. 
Alexander  Archibald,  S.  Maitland. 
Mrs.  Rachel  Archibald,  Windsor. 

Inverness  County 
Henrv  A.  Archibald,  Port  Hastings. 
Ernest  Archibald,  Port  Hastings. 

Kings  County 
E.  E.  Archibald,  Wolfville. 

UNITED 

Alabama 
Ellis  M.  Archibald,  1005  Eula  St., 

Birmingham. 
Edward  S.  Archibald,  1005  Eula  St., 

Birmingham. 
Horace  M.  Archibald,  1005  Eula  St., 

Birmingham. 
Edward  Steele  Archibald,  1005  EuTa 

St.,  Birmingham. 
Ella  May  Archibald,  1005  Eula  St., 

Birmingham. 
Louise  P.  Archibald,  1005  Eula  St., 

Birmingham. 
Edwin  A.  Archibald,  Eutaw. 
Horace  M.  Archibald,  Jr.,  1501  So. 

2ist  St.,  Birmingham. 


Rev.  W.  L.  Archibald,  Wolfville. 

Lunenburg  County 
H.  H.  Archibald,  Bridgewater. 

Pictou  County 
Edwin  Archibald,  Alma. 
Eldridge  G.  Archibald.  Alma. 
Mathew  G.  Archibald,  Alma. 
S.  S.  Archibald,  Alma. 
Samuel  .Archibald,  Alma. 
Wilbur  L.  Archibald,  Alma. 
Harold  D.  Archibald,  Durham. 
John  C.  Archibald,  Foxbrook. 
William  A.  Archibald,  Foxbrook. 
Alfred  Archibald,  St.  Pauls. 
Clarence  Archibald,  St.  Pauls. 
George  Archibald,  St.  Pauls. 
Rupert  F.  Archibald,  New  Glasgow. 
Rev.  W.  P.  Archibald,  Sunny  Brae. 
George  Archibald,  Tonev  Mills. 
Mrs.  Henrv  Archibald,  Westerly. 
Samuel  Archibald,  Watervale. 

Queens  County 
Brenton  Archibald,  S.  Brookfield. 
James  Archibald,  S.  Brookfield. 

STATES 

Robert  M.  Archibald,  1203  Tuscalla 
Ave.,  Birmingham. 

Walter  B.  Archibald,  1220  Tuscalla 
Ave.,  Birmingham. 

James  S.  Archibald,  S09  Govern- 
ment St.,  Mobile. 

Arizona 

Arthur  Tupper  Archibald,  Jerome. 

California 

Edward  Archibald,  3017  Persimmon 

St.,  Oakland. 
Mrs.  Jennie  C.  Archibald,  1 312  Sth 

St.,  Oakland. 


45* 


HOME-MAKING  AND  ITS  PHILOSOPHT 


J.  H.  Archibald,  433  Pasadena  Ave., 
Pasadena. 

George  Henry  Archibald,  1564  Mon- 
terey Rd.,  Pasadena,  South. 

Henry  Ruthven  Archibald,  1127 
Brent  Ave.,  Pasadena,  South. 

William  W.  Archibald,  407  Waldo 
St.,  Pasadena,  South. 

Robert  A.  Archibald,  San  Jose. 

Samuel  C.  Archibald,  San  Jose. 

E.  Archibald,  543  Vallejo  St.,  San 
Francisco. 

R.  H.  Archibald,  242  Turk  St.,  San 
Francisco. 

James  T.  Archibald,  35  Prospect 
Ave.,  San  Francisco. 

Mark  J.  Archibald,  187  Douglass 
Ave.,  San  Francisco. 

Mrs.  Susan  Archibald,  1940  Page 
St.,  San  Francisco. 

Walter  H.  Archibald,  804  Mc- 
Allister St.,  San  Francisco. 

Connecticut 

Fred  B.  Archibald,  Manchester. 
Leslie  Archibald,  E.  Hartford. 

Florida 

Mrs.  Henry  B.  Archibald,  337  East 

3d  St.,  Jacksonville. 
James  W.   Archibald,   141 7  Main 

St.,  Jacksonville. 
Robert  B.  Archibald,  125  West  2d 

St.,  Jacksonville. 
William  M.  Archibald,  15  Phelps  St., 

Jacksonville, 

Georgia 

Alexander  Archibald,  741  Glenn  St., 
Atlanta. 

Idaho 

John  Archibald,  218  East  Idaho  St., 
Boise  City. 


Illinois 

Mrs.  Catherine  Archibald,  285  Or- 
leans St.,  Chicago. 

Charles  Archibald,  318  1-2  Orleans 
St.,  Chicago. 

Alexander  Archibald,  926  Osgood 
St.,  Chicago. 

Charles  W.  Archibald,  926  Osgood 
St.,  Chicago. 

Frank  Archibald,  926  Osgood  St., 
Chicago. 

Henry  S.  Archibald,  926  Osgood  St., 
Chicago. 

Edward  S.  Archibald,  7361  Lafayette 

Ave.,  Chicago. 
Frank  J.  Archibald,  185  Superior  St., 

Chicago. 

George  N.  Archibald,  Mrs.,  726  W. 

Adams  St.,  Chicago. 
H.  Teller  Archibald,  1877  Sheridan 

Rd.,  Chicago. 
Joseph    Archibald,    842  Diversey 

Building,  Chicago. 
Joseph  Archibald,  224  N.  Ashland 

Ave.,  Chicago. 
Lawrence  Archibald,  839  N.  Hermit- 
age Ave.,  Chicago. 
Mrs.  Mary  A.  Archibald,  879  Tripp 

St.,  Chicago. 
Paul  N.  Archibald,  796  Winthrop 

Ave.,  Chicago. 
Ralph  H.  Archibald,  1698  Racine 

Ave.,  Chicago. 
Robert    R.    Archibald,    1368  W. 

Division  St.,  Chicago. 
Theodore  Archibald,  40  S.  Centre 

Ave.,  Chicago. 
Thomas  E.  Archibald,  215  S.  Hayne 

Ave.,  Chicago. 
Walter  Archibald,  2137  N.  Ashland 

Ave.,  Chicago. 
Wesley  Archibald,  879  Tripp  Ave., 

Chicago. 
Arnold  E.  Archibald,  Hinsdale. 


452 


SOME  ARCHIBALD  HOMES 


Indiana 

Carson  Archibald,  1256  East  Ohio 

St.,  Indianapolis. 
Frank  Archibald,  1069  Hunter  St., 

Indianapolis. 
Gerritt    A.    Archibald,    2246  N. 

Meriden  St.,  Indianapolis. 
Bertram  S.  Archibald,  614  S.  5th  St., 

Terre  Haute. 
Henry  E.  Archibald,  614  S.  5th  St., 

Terre  Haute. 
William  W.  Archibald,  614  S.  5th 

St.,  Terre  Haute. 
William  A.  Archibald,  336  N.  21st 

St.,  Terre  Haute. 
William  A.  Archibald,  Jr.,  326  N. 

2ist  St,,  Terre  Haute. 

Iowa 

Eugene  C.  Archibald,  653  Franklin 
Ave.,  Council  Bluffs. 

Maine 

Samuel  Archibald,  Hotel  Royal, 
Bangor. 

U.  V.  Archibald,  Silver  St.,  Poland. 

Alexander  F.  Archibald,  1013  Con- 
gress St.,  Portland. 

Samuel  Creelman  Archibald,  Port- 
land. 

Arthur   J.    Archibald,  253A  Dan- 

forth  St.,  Portland. 
Asa    Archibald,    77     Myrtle  St., 

Portland. 

Blanchard  Archibald,  1013  Con- 
gress St.,  Portland. 

Charles  Archibald,  87  Sherwood  St., 
Portland. 

Charles  Archibald,  64  Cedar  St., 
Portland. 

Charles  Archibald,  63  Salem  St., 
Portland. 

George  H.  Archibald,  284  Brackett 

St.,  Portland. 
George  O.  Archibald,  37  Tate  St., 

Portland. 


Harold   Archibald,    1013  Congress 

St.,  Portland. 
Hugh    Archibald,    51    Tyng  St., 

Portland. 

Hugh  Archibald,  222  Danforth  St., 
Portland. 

John  Archibald,  24  Hartley  St., 
Portland. 

Mrs.  Robert  D.  Archibald,  Ocean 
St.,  South  Portland. 

Rufus  Archibald,  448  Commercial 
St.,  Portland. 

Mrs.  Sarah  S.  Archibald,  25  Hartley 
St.,  Portland. 

T.  A.  Archibald,  7  Valley  St.,  Port- 
land. 

George  H.  Archibald,  74  Coyle  St., 
Woodford. 

Massachusetts 
Alfred  G.  Archibald,  70  Mt.  Pleasant 

St.,  Athol. 
Carroll  E.  Archibald,  112  Wellington 

St.,  Athol. 
Horace   W.   Archibald,   957  Main 

St.,  Athol. 
Joseph  F.  Archibald,  Athol. 
Lewis  Archibald,  200  Crescent  St., 

Athol. 

Charles  Archibald,  200  Crescent  St., 
Athol. 

Nelson  Archibald,  200  Crescent  St., 
Athol. 

Robert  N.  Archibald,  High  St.,  Avon. 
Albert    Archibald,    80    High  St., 
Andover. 

John  Archibald,  126  Kendrick  St., 
Brighton. 

Rev.  Arthur  C.  Archibald,  217  Spring 

St.,  Brockton. 
Austin  Archibald,  286  Pleasant  St., 

Brockton. 
David  A.  Archibald,  286  Pleasant 

St.,  Brockton. 
Henry  O.  Archibald,  80  Winthrop 

St.,  Brockton. 


453 


HOME-MAKING  AND  ITS  PHILOSOPHY 


Mrs.  John  Archibald,  18  Washburn 

St.,  Brockton. 
Leonard  M.  Archibald,  18  Washburn 

St.,  Brockton. 
Ralph  L.  Archibald,  18  Washburn 

St.,  Brockton. 
Nelson  Archibald,  14  Washburn  St., 

Brockton. 
Samuel  Archibald,  34  Parker  St., 

Brockton. 
Warren    Archibald,    36    Ash  St., 

Brockton. 
Isaiah  N.  Archibald,  Brooksville. 
Herbert  Archibald,  Bradford. 
Bertha  A.  Archibald,  12  Albemarle 

St.,  Boston. 
E.  E.  Archibald,  219  Washington  St., 

Boston. 

George  Archibald,  35  Rose  St., 
Boston. 

John  Archibald,  1  Oakdale  St., 
Boston. 

John  G.  Archibald,  612  Mass.  Ave., 
Boston. 

Mabel  S.  Archibald,  31  St.  Botolph 
St.,  Boston. 

Warren  S.  Archibald,  63  Mt.  Vernon 
St.,  Boston. 

Earl  Stanley  Archibald,  175  Con- 
gress St..  Boston. 

David  Archibald,  50  Walden  St., 
Concord. 

Mrs.  Almira  Archibald,  no  Button- 
wood  St.,  Dorchester. 
Lorenzo  M.  Archibald,  26  Josephine 

St.,  Dorchester. 
Robert  E.  Archibald,  41  Saxton  St., 

Dorchester. 
Albert  J.  Archibald,  41  Saxton  St., 

Dorchester. 
Robert  J.  Archibald,  41  Saxton  St., 

Dorchester. 
Thomas  Archibald,  28  Hecla  St., 

Dorchester. 
William  Archibald,    3  Ballou  PL, 

Dorchester. 


William  D.  Archibald,  213  Linden 

St.,  Everett. 
Frank  W.  Archibald,  9  Hawthorne 

St.,  Everett. 
Edward  M.  Archibald,  130  Cottage 

St.,  Everett. 
Edward    M.    Archibald,    Jr.,  130 

Cottage  St.,  Everett. 
George  C.  P.  Archibald,  130  Cottage 

St.,  Everett. 
Christopher  J.  Archibald,  128  Web- 
ster St.,  East  Boston. 
Alonzo  Archibald,  415  East  8th  St., 

South  Boston. 
Mrs.  James  R.  Archibald,  906  East 

4th  St.,  South  Boston. 
John  Archibald,  79  L  St.,  South 

Boston. 

Michael  J.  Archibald,  532  East  5th 

St.,  South  Boston. 
Elbridge  H.  Archibald,  152  Spring 

St.,  Cambridge. 
Edwin  P.  Archibald,  83  Brattle  St., 

Cambridge. 
E.   H.  Archibald,   120*    Otis  St., 

East  Cambridge. 
Mrs.  Isaac  Archibald,  130  Austin  St., 

Cambridge. 
Robert  Archibald,  68  Boylston  St., 

Cambridge. 
Joseph  Archibald,  411  Bunker  Hill 

St.,  Charlestown. 
Ralph  E.  Archibald,  5  Caldwell  St., 

Charlestown. 
H.  N.  Archibald,  M.D.,  Cheshire. 
George  O.  Archibald,  358  Main  St., 

Chicopee. 
Henry  M.  Archibald,  9  Hawthorne 

St.,  Everett. 
Mrs.  Ellen  E.  Archibald,  Colony  for 

Insane,  Gardner. 
Mrs.  Emma  Archibald,  45  Graham 

St.,  Gardner. 
George  N.  Archibald,  446  Chestnut 

St.,  Gardner. 
Isaac  Archibald,  Fall  River, 


454 


SOME  ARCHIBALD  HOMES 


Freilon  N.  Archibald,  6  Freeman  St., 

Haverhill. 
Wallace  E.  Archibald,  6  Freeman 

St.,  Haverhill. 
Fred  W.  Archibald,  6  Freeman  St., 

Haverhill. 
F.  S.  Archibald  Co.,  Phcenix  Row, 

Haverhill. 
Dana  S.  Archibald,  2  Freeman  St., 

Haverhill. 
Harry  Archibald,   2   Freeman  St., 

Haverhill. 
Erwin  Archibald,  2   Freeman  St., 

Haverhill. 
Guy  Archibald,  398  Washington  St., 

Haverhill. 
Guy  W.   Archibald,  4   Silver  St., 

Haverhill. 
Ira  D.  Archibald,  11  Whittier  St., 

Haverhill. 
John    Archibald,    32    Byron  St., 

Haverhill. 
Herbert  Archibald,  32    Byron  St., 

Haverhill. 
Norman  H.  Archibald,  Hingham. 
Sara  H.  Archibald,  So.  Franklin  St., 

Holbrook. 
Fred  Archibald,  Broadway,  Hanover. 
Charles  H.  Archibald,  97  Williams 

Ave.,  Hyde  Park. 
Edgar  S.  Archibald,  40  Harvard  St., 

Hyde  Park. 
John  B.  Archibald,  89  Wenham  St., 

Jamaica  Plain. 
Margaret  W.  Archibald,  89  Wenham 

St.,  Jamaica  Plain. 
Elmer   Archibald,    60    Spring  St., 

Jamaica  Plain. 
Edward  M.  Archibald,  Lanesville. 
Thomas  A.  Archibald,  Lunenburg. 
Arthur  P.  Archibald,  34  Leighton  St., 

Lynn. 

Mrs.  Asher  B.  Archibald,  256  Walnut 
St.,  Lynn. 

Charles  J.  M.  Archibald,  46  Fre- 
mont St.,  Lowell. 


Homer  W.  Archibald,  411  Bridge  St., 
Lowell. 

Henry  Archibald,  411    Bridge  St., 
Lowell. 

Mrs.  James  Archibald,  411  Bridge 

St.,  Lowell. 
Albert  Archibald,  22  Hudson  Ave., 

Lawrence. 
Mrs.  George  Archibald,  204  Bailey 

St.,  Lawrence. 
George  F.  Archibald,  204  Bailey  St., 

Lawrence. 
George  W.  Archibald,  6  Crescent 

St.,  Lawrence. 
Irving  M.  Archibald,  143  May  St., 

Lawrence. 
Samuel  A.  Archibald,  Maiden. 
William  D.  Archibald,  12  Bartlett 

St.,  Maiden. 
Mrs.  Caroline  Archibald,  26  Sprague 

Ct.,  Medford. 
Richard  Archibald,  26  Sprague  Ct., 

Medford. 

David  E.  Archibald,  26  Garfield  Ave., 
Medford. 

Harry   E.   Archibald,   26  Garfield 

Ave.,  Medford. 
George  H.  Archibald,  15  Pleasant 

St.,  Medford. 
Oscar  D.  Archibald,  10  Garfield  Ave., 

Medford. 

William  D.  Archibald,  150  Park  St., 
Medford. 

Clayton  Archibald,  35  Meriden  St., 
Melrose. 

Caroline  E.  Archibald,  89  Spear  St., 
Melrose. 

Martha   May  Archibald,  89  Spear 

St.,  Melrose. 
Mrs.  A.  Archibald  (Butler),  89  Spear 

St.,  Melrose. 
Florence  E.  Archibald,  89  Spear  St..,. 

Melrose. 

James  A.  Archibald,  12  Field  St.^ 
Melrose. 

Irving  Moore  Archibald,  Methuen, 


455 


HOME-MAKING  AND  ITS  PHILOSOPHT 


Theodore  S.  Archibald,  89  Spear 
St.,  Melrose. 

Edward  Andrews  Archibald,  38 
Pleasant  St.,  Methuen. 

Everett  Heustis  Archibald,  8  Tre- 
mont  St.,  Methuen. 

George  Woodbury  Archibald,  Me- 
thuen. 

Edward  Andrews  Archibald,  Me- 
thuen. 

George    Andrew   Archibald,  West 

Main  St.,  Millbury. 
Edward  M.  J.  Archibald,  8  Park 

PL,  New  Bedford. 
John   Archibald,  26  Ashland  PI., 

New  Bedford. 
Merton  E.  Archibald,  26  Ashland 

PI.,  New  Bedford. 
William  Archibald,  26  Ashland  PL, 

New  Bedford. 
William  B.  Archibald,  Nahant. 
Mrs.  William  B.  Archibald,  Nahant. 
Hannah  Archibald,  of  Scranton,  Pa., 

Oak  Bluffs. 
James  Archibald,  of  Scranton,  Pa., 

Oak  Bluffs. 
William  Archibald,  Horn  St.,  Pitts- 
field. 

Rev.  Warren  S.  Archibald,  Pitts- 
field. 

Harry  A.  Archibald,  317  Tyler  St., 

Pittsfield. 

Charles  F.  Archibald,  114  Intervale 

St.,  Quincy. 
James    Archibald,    64    River  St., 

Quincy. 

John  Archibald,  37  Farrington  St., 

Quincy. 

Adam  Archibald,  11  Gaston  St., 
Roxbury. 

David   Archibald,   20   Oak  Grove 

Terrace,  Roxbury. 
George  N.  Archibald,  17  Oak  Grove 

Terrace,  Roxbury. 
David  W.  Archibald,  loo  Arundel 

St,?  Roxbury, 


Fred  H.  Archibald,  122  Blue  Hill 

Ave.,  Roxbury. 
George  W.  Archibald,  5  Monroe  St., 

Roxbury. 

Henry  T.  Archibald,  10  Notre  Dame 
St.,  Roxbury. 

Mrs.  Isabella  Archibald,  28  Alex- 
ander St.,  Roxbury. 

John  A.  Archibald,  1  Oakland  St., 
Roxbury. 

Leonard  A.  Archibald,  46  Symmes 

St.,  Roxbury. 
Mrs.  Robert  Archibald,  39  Clifton 

St.,  Roxbury. 
Warren  S.  Archibald,  39  Clifton  St., 

Roxbury. 
John  A.  Archibald,  Somerville. 
William  H.  Archibald,  Somerville. 
John    Archibald,    49    Bridge  St., 

Springfield. 
Isaac  Archibald,  South  Swansea. 
Elmer  E.  Archibald,  192  School  St., 

Watertown. 
John  G.  Archibald,  150  Main  St., 

Watertown. 
Samuel  Archibald,   150  Main  St., 

Watertown. 
William  J.  Archibald,  Wareham. 
George  Archibald,  16  Knowlton  St., 

Worcester. 
Peter  S.  Archibald,  2  Pelham  St., 

Worcester. 
Mrs.  Robert  N.  Archibald,  2  Pelham 

St.,  Worcester. 
Mrs.  Fred  W.  Archibald,  Waltham. 
Fred  Archibald,  Whitman. 
William  M.  Archibald,  266  Union 

St.,  Weymouth. 
David  Archibald,  8  Ash  St.,  Weston. 

Michigan 
John   Archibald,   321    Adams  St., 
Bay  City. 

Minnesota 
Mrs.    Ada    M.    Archibald,  2703 
Harriet  Ave.,  Minneapolis. 


SOME  ARCHIBALD  HOMES 


Alexander  R.  Archibald,  2544  Aid- 
rich  St.,  Minneapolis. 

George  Archibald,  5th  Ave.,  N., 
Minneapolis. 

George  S.  Archibald,  3910  Pillsbury 
Ave.,  Minneapolis. 

James  W.  Archibald,  4106  Dupont 
Ave.  N.,  Minneapolis. 

John  Archibald,  2933  Emerson  Ave. 
N.,  Minneapolis. 

Ray  W.  Archibald,  3552  Park  Ave., 
Minneapolis. 

William  Archibald,  4106  Dupont 
Ave.  S.j  Minneapolis. 

Frank  S.  Archibald,  2246  Common- 
wealth Ave.,  St.  Paul. 

Jean  M.  Archibald,  471  Oakland 
Ave.,  Minneapolis. 

John  C.  Archibald,  397  Ashland 
Ave.,  St.  Paul. 

Ray  G.  Archibald,  397  Ashland  Ave., 
St.  Paul. 

William  D.  Archibald,  397  Ashland 
Ave.,  St.  Paul. 

Missouri 

George  Archibald,  2104  N.  Broad- 
way, St.  Louis. 

George  Archibald,  5957  Theodosia 
Ave.,  St.  Louis. 

Parker  J.  Archibald,  4237A  Harris 
Ave.,  St.  Louis. 

Franklin  B.  Archibald,  4237A  Harris 
Ave.,  St.  Louis. 

Russell  Archibald,  5741  Garfield  St., 
St.  Louis. 

Thomas  Archibald,  Webster  Groves, 
St.  Louis. 

Walter  C.  Archibald,  3030  Vine 
Grove  Ave.,  St.  Louis. 

Marvin  D.  Archibald,  3310  Wood- 
land Ave.,  Kansas  City. 

Coventry  Archibald,  3010  Felix  Ave., 
St.  Joseph. 


Montana 
John  Archibald,  307  N.  33d  St., 
Billings. 

Arthur  Archibald,  307  N.  33d  St., 
Billings. 

George  B.  Archibald,  808  W.  Galena 

St.,  Butte. 
James  T.  Archibald,  808  W.  Galena 

St.,  Butte. 

Nebraska 

Allen  R.  Archibald,  1618  N.  25th 

St.,  Omaha. 
Joseph  Archibald,  1618  N.  25th  St., 

Omaha. 

Mrs.  Alexander  Archibald,  1828  N. 

19th  St.,  Omaha. 
William  P.  Archibald,  1828  N.  19th 

St.,  Omaha. 
Edward    Archibald,   1828  N.  19th 

St.,  Omaha. 
J.  John  Archibald,  1416  Ogden  St., 

Omaha. 

New  Hampshire 

John  A.  Archibald,  Littleton. 
Fred  G.  Archibald,  Littleton. 
Everett  F.  Archibald,  Littleton. 
John  Windmere  Archibald,  Littleton. 
Rev.  Ira  D.  Archibald,  26  Garmond 
St.,  Manchester, 

New  Jersey 

Alexander  Archibald,  54^  South  St., 
Newark. 

Mrs.  William  Archibald,  54+  South 

St.,  Newark. 
David  G.  Archibald,  109  Miller  St., 

Newark. 

John  Archibald,  659  N.   7th  St., 
Newark. 

Mrs.  Lucy  Archibald,  13  Summit  St., 
Newark. 

Robert  A.  Archibald,  50  Burnet  St., 
Newark. 


457 


HOME-MAKING  AND  ITS  PHILOSOPHY 


William  J.  Archibald,  84  Bleeker  St., 
Newark. 

Charles  Archibald,  324  Goodwin  St., 

Paterson. 

James  F.  Archibald,  324  Goodwin 

St.,  Paterson. 
Joseph  Archibald,  134  S.  Bellevue 

Ave.,  Atlantic  City. 

New  York 

.Albert  J.  Archibald,  221  Green  Ave., 

Brooklyn. 
George  Archibald,  Binghamton. 
-Sloan  Archibald,  Bovina. 
J.  A.  Archibald,  Bovina. 

A.  T.  Archibald,  Bovina. 
William  Archibald,  Bovina  Centre. 
James  W.  Archibald,  Bovina  Cen- 
tre. 

Alexander  Archibald,  Delhi. 
John  M.  Archibald,  Margaretsville. 
William  L.  Archibald,  Margarets- 
ville. 

J.  S.  Archibald,  Margaretsville. 
J.  B.  Archibald,  Margaretsville. 
James  W.  Archibald,  Menands. 
R.  H.  Archibald,  N.  Kingston. 
J.  T.  Archibald,  N.  Kingston. 
J.  R.  Archibald,  N.  Kingston. 
L.  W.  Archibald,  N.  Kingston. 

B.  T.  Archibald,  N.  Kingston. 
F.  S.  Archibald,  N.  Kingston. 
Arthur  G.  Archibald,  19  Columbus 

Park,  New  Rochelle. 
Grant  Archibald,  64  Barling  Lane, 

New  Rochelle. 
Mrs.  John  Archibald,    64  Barling 

Lane,  New  Rochelle. 
Carson  G.  Archibald,  423  W.  23d 

St.,  New  York  City. 
Charles  D.  Archibald,  750  E.  175th 

St.,  New  York  City. 
Dr.  Charles  Archibald,  105  Madison 

Ave.,  New  York  City, 


Frank  D.  Archibald,  361  W.  125th 

St.,  New  York  City. 
James  L.  Archibald,  361  W.  125th 

St.,  New  York  City. 
Fred  A.  Archibald,  229  Broadway, 

New  York  City. 
Henry  Archibald,  144  Timothy  Ave., 

New  York  City. 
Hy  M.  Archibald,  844  Trinity  Ave., 

New  York  City. 
James  P.  Archibald,  750  E.  175th 

St.,  New  York  City. 
John  C.  Archibald,  524  Robbins  St., 

New  York  City. 
John  P.  Archibald,  560  W.  i82d  St., 

New  York  City. 
Mrs.  Mary  Archibald,  311  E.  119th 

St.,  New  York  City. 
R.  Edwin  Archibald,  147  E.  125th 

St.,  New  York  City. 
Thomas  T.  Archibald,  635  E.  169th 

St.,  New  York  City. 
William  Archibald,  13  Gouverneur 

PI.,  New  York  City. 
William  Archibald,  252  W.  149th 

St.,  New  York  City. 
William  Archibald,  538  W.  I42d  St., 

New  York  City. 
William  H.  Archibald,  433  W.  23d 

St.,  New  York  City. 
William  S.  Archibald,  226  8th  Ave., 

New  York  City. 
William  S.  Archibald,  610  W.  135th 

St.,  New  York  City. 
Ebenezer  Henry  Archibald,  M.A., 

M.S.C.,  Professor  Bowne  Hall  of 

Chemistry,    Syracuse  University, 

Syracuse. 

William  H.  Archibald,  N.  Broadway, 

White  Plains. 
James  Archibald,  Tredwell. 
Thomas  A.  Archibald,  Tredwell. 

Ohio. 

David  D.  Archibald,  42  West  Gay 
St.,  Columbus. 


SOME  ARCHIBALD  HOMES 


Pennsylvania 

George  M.  Archibald,  6052  North 
Main  Ave.,  Scranton. 

Rhode  Island 

Annie  M.  Archibald,  249  Broadway, 

Pawtucket. 
Janet  P.  Archibald,  249  Broadway, 

Pawtucket. 
Margaret  P.  Archibald,  249  Broad- 
way, Pawtucket. 
John  F.  Archibald,  4  Young  Ave., 

Providence. 
Warren  E.  Archibald,  4  Young  Ave., 

Providence. 
Raymond  C.  Archibald,  9  Charles 

Field  St.,  Providence. 
Silas  A.  Archibald,  28  Corinth  St., 

Providence. 
Arthur  D.  Archibald,  105  Ballou  St., 

Woonsocket. 
Christie  A.  Archibald,  off  S.  Main 

St.,  Woonsocket. 
David  G.  Archibald,  583  S.  Main 

St.,  Woonsocket. 
Edwin  C.   Archibald,   157  Bernice 

Ave.,  Woonsocket. 
George  W.  Archibald,  624  S.  Main 

St.,  Woonsocket. 
Martin  D.  Archibald,  614  S.  Main 

St.,  Woonsocket. 
Peter  S.  Archibald,  640  S.  Main  St., 

Woonsocket. 
Winburn   B.  Archibald,  High  St., 

Woonsocket. 

Tennessee 

Edward  C.  Archibald,  523  3d  Ave., 

South  Nashville. 
Edward  Archibald,  907  S.  2d  Ave., 

Nashville. 
John  E.  Archibald,  318  Blackmore 

Ave.,  Nashville. 
William  A.  Archibald,  11 14  Forest 

Ave.,  Nashville. 


Texas 

Jacob  W.  Archibald,  173  Caddo  St., 
Dallas. 

John  B.  Archibald,  173  Caddo  St., 
Dallas. 

John  H.  Archibald,  97  Beckley  Ave., 
Dallas. 

Lizzie   M.   Archibald,    173  Caddo 

St.,  Dallas. 
Robert  N.  Archibald,  182  Caddo  St., 

Dallas. 

Utah 

Mrs.  Agnes  S.  Archibald,  470  N. 

1st  St.,  East  Logan. 
Charles  S.  Archibald,  107  E.  4th  St., 

North  Logan. 
Mrs.  James  Archibald,  45  S.  4th  St., 

West  Logan. 
Charles  Archibald,  187  W.  Capitol 

St.,  Salt  Lake  City. 
Charles  C.  Archibald,  569  S.  14th 

St.  W.,  Salt  Lake  City. 
David  J.  Archibald,  94  W.  Capitol 

St.,  Salt  Lake  City. 
Elmer  H.  Archibald,  369  S.  14th  St. 

W.,  Salt  Lake  City. 
John  Archibald,  94  W.  Capitol  St., 

Salt  Lake  City. 
Ralph  Archibald,  64  3d  St.  S.,  Salt 

Lake  City. 
Russell  Archibald,  94  W.  Capitol 

St.,  Salt  Lake  City. 

Virginia 

Samuel  L.  Archibald,  1213  23d  St., 
Newport  News. 

Washington  State 
Alfred  E.  Archibald,  4232  Walling- 

ford  Ave.,  Seattle. 
Mrs.    A.    D.    Archibald,    82  W. 

Stewart  St.,  Seattle. 
Fred  H.  Archibald,  11 14  7th  Ave., 

Seattle. 


459 


HOME-MAKING  AND  ITS  PHILOSOPHY 


John    Archibald,    Labor  Temple, 
Seattle. 

John  R.  Archibald,  84  Stewart  St., 
Seattle. 

Robert  F.  Archibald,  4010  Aurora 

Ave.,  Seattle. 
Samuel    M.    Archibald,    1817  E. 

Howell  St.,  Seattle. 
Silas  Archibald,   1426  Seneca  St., 

Seattle. 

Charles  D.  E.  Archibald,  2418  3d 

Ave.,  Spokane. 
Edward  T.  Archibald,  2418  3d  Ave., 

Spokane. 

James    Archibald,    2418    3d  Ave., 
Spokane. 

John  S.  Archibald,  2418  3d  Ave.,  Spo- 
kane. 


Marvin  D.  Archibald,  2418  3d  Ave., 
Spokane. 

Murt  J.  Archibald,  2418  3d  Ave., 
Spokane. 

Stephen  P.  Archibald,  2418  3d  Ave., 
Spokane. 

Washington,  D.  C. 

Clarence  C.  Archibald,  1427  Monroe 
St.  N.  W. 

James  F.  J.  Archibald,  The  Wyom- 
ing. 

Wisconsin 
John  Archibald,  409  N.  Broadway, 

Green  Bay. 
John  Archibald,  1019  Wright  St., 

Milwaukee. 
William  Archibald,  529  Washington 

St.,  Wausau. 


THE  ARCHBOLD  LIST 


William    Archbold,    902    N.  St., 

Sacramento,  Cal. 
William  D.  Archbold,  1421  Fillmore 

St.,  Denver,  Col. 
Chellis  H.  Archbold,  1844  Wheeler 

St.,  Fort  Wayne,  Ind. 
Ezra  B.  Archbold,  610  Breckenridge 

St.,  Fort  Wayne,  Ind. 
John  D.  Archbold,  610  Breckenridge 

St.,  Fort  Wayne,  Ind. 
Harry  E.  Archbold,  833  Columbus 

Ave.,  Fort  Wayne,  Ind. 
Martin  V.  B.  Archbold,  833  Colum- 
bus Ave.,  Fort  Wayne,  Ind. 
Jason  C.  Archbold,  2827  Hoagland 

St.,  Fort  Wayne,  Ind. 
Douglas  Archbold,  30  Somerset  Ave., 

Battle  Creek,  Mich. 
James  W.  Archbold,  Somerset  Ave., 

Battle  Creek,  Mich. 
Frank  F.  Archbold,  50  Winter  St., 

Grand  Rapids,  Mich. 
Edward  M.  Archbold,  562  Waterloo 


St.,  Detroit, 


Mich. 


Fred  W.  Archbold,  1201  4th  Ave., 
Detroit,  Mich. 

Richard  C.  Archbold,  1201  4th  Ave., 
Detroit,  Mich. 

George  S.  Archbold,  1201  4th  Ave., 
Detroit,  Mich. 

Ralph  Archbold,  107  Waterloo  St., 
Detroit,  Mich. 

William  Archbold,  77  Reed  PL, 
Detroit,  Mich. 

William  P.  Archbold,  77  Reed  PI., 
Detroit,  Mich. 

William  J.  Archbold,  302  Hold- 
brook  St.,  Detroit,  Mich. 

John  Dustan  Archbold,  26  Broad- 
way, New  York  City,  N.  Y. 

George  Archbold,  229  17th  St.,  New 
York  City,  N.  Y. 

G.  J.  Archbold,  99  Gold  St.,  New 
York  City,  N.  Y. 

James  J.  Archbold,  230  Fulton  St., 
New  York  City,  N.  Y. 

James  J.  Archbold,  136  Ocean 
Parkway,  Brooklyn,  N.  Y. 


460 


SOME  ARCHIBALD  HOMES 


John  Archbold,  300  119th  St.,  New 

York  City,  N.  Y. 
Robert  P.  Archbola.  100  Vanderveer 

St.,  Brooklyn,  N.'y. 
Walter   C.    ArchboR    748  Marcy 

Ave.,  Brooklyn,  N.  Y. 
William  Archbold,  567  East  157th 

St.,  New  York  City,  N.  Y. 
Andrew    Archbold,    2    Amity  St., 

Cohoes,  N.  Y. 
Andrew  Archbold,  Jr.,  2  Amity  St., 

Cohoes,  N.  Y. 
Isabella    Archbold,    22  Youngiove 

Ave.,  Cohoes,  N.  Y. 
James  Archbold,  263  Remsen  St., 

Cohoes,  N.  Y. 
John    Archbold,    193    Main  St., 

Cohoes,  N.  Y. 
William    Archbold,    75  Youngiove 

Ave.,  Cohoes,  N.  Y. 
Robert  H.   Archbold,  83  Parsellsa 

Ave.,  Rochester,  N.  Y. 
Mrs.  Sarah  E.  Archbold,  144  Cale- 
donia Ave.,  Rochester,  N.  Y. 
George    Archbold,     126  Montella 

St.,  Jersey  City,  N.  J. 
Walter  H.  Archbold,  823  Newark 

Ave.,  Jersey  City,  N.  J. 
Charles  L.  Archbold,  8918  Meridian 

Ave,,  Cleveland,  Ohio. 


John  N.  Archbold,  668  Ravensview 

St.,  Portland,  Ore. 
Benjamin    Archbold,    1332  Kenil- 

worth  St.,  Philadelphia,  Pa. 
Charles  W.  Archbold,  2318  N.  27th 

St.,  Philadelphia,  Pa. 
Cuthbert  Archbold,  428  Mifflin  St., 

Philadelphia,  Pa. 
George  W.   Archbold,  428  Mifflin 

St.,  Philadelphia,  Pa. 
John    Archbold,    428    Mifflin  St., 

Philadelphia,  Pa. 
Thomas  Archbold,  1919  Wayne  Ave., 

Scranton,  Pa. 
Charles  H.  Archbold,  325  5th  Ave., 

Pittsburg,  Pa. 
Henry   L.   Archbold,   368  Meryan 

St.,  Pittsburg,  Pa. 
Frank  W.  Archbold,  843  Astor  St., 

Milwaukee,  Wis. 
George  Archbold,  1919  Wayne  St., 

Scranton,  Pa. 
Hannah  D.  Archbold,  191 9  Wayne 

St.,  Scranton,  Pa. 
Elizabeth  W.  Archbold,  191 9  Wayne 

St.,  Scranton,  Pa. 
William  Archbold,  2079  North  Main 

St.,  Scranton,  Pa. 
W.  S.  G.  Archbold,  Los  Angeles, 

Cal. 


LINEAGE  CONTRIBUTORS 

Children 


Name 

Present  Address              Boys,  Girls.    Birthyear  and  Birthplace 

Archbald 

James 

424  Jefferson  Ave.,  3 

3  1838— Sand  Lake,  N.  Y. 

Scranton,  Pa. 

Archbold 

George 

1 91 9  Wayne  Ave., 

Chattan,  England. 

Scranton,  Pa. 

M.  B.  V. 

830  Columbus  Ave.,  2 

1  i860 

Fort  Wayne,  Ind. 

[Scotland. 

Andrew 

4  Amity  St.,  Cohoes,  N.Y. 

1 85  5 — Renfrewshire, 

Charles  L. 

8914  Meridian  Ave.,  1 

1880— Decatur,  111. 

Cleveland,  Ohio 

Robert  P. 

Cincinnati,  Ohio  1 

1  1858— New  York  City. 

HOME-MAKING  AND  ITS  PHILOSOPHT 


Name 
Archibald 
Henry  O. 

John  A. 
Charles  C. 

Walter  P. 

Robert  B. 

Harry  P. 

Wm.  Adam 

Sylvester  C. 
Wallace  R. 
Fred  R.  and 
Silas 

Hazel  M. 
Edward  A. 
Everett  H. 


Present  Address 

So  Winthrop  St., 

Brockton,  Mass. 
Littleton,  N.  H. 
89  Spear  St., 

Melrose,  Mass. 
490  McLaren  St., 

Ottawa,  Can. 
125  W.  Second  St., 

Jacksonville,  Fla. 
1030  Nelson  St., 

Vancouver,  B.  C. 
25  24th  St., 

Terre  Haute,  Ind. 
Alberta,  Can. 
Alberta,  Can. 

Adrian  Court, 

Seattle,  Wash. 
Adrian  Court. 

Seattle,  Wash. 
38  Pleasanc  St., 

Methuen,  Mass. 
8  Tremont  St., 

Methuen,  Mass. 
Methuen,  Mass. 


Hattie  L. 

(Dodge) 
Jennie  A.      Methuen,  Mass. 

(Emerson) 
George  W. 
Jessie  M. 

(Buswell) 
Edward  A. 
Irving  M. 
Horace  McM 
George  N. 


Methuen,  Mass. 
Methuen,  Mass. 


Harriet  N. 

(Logan) 
Emily  J. 

(Bligh) 
Sarah  R. 

(Lewis) 
Anna  E. 

(Hill) 


Methuen,  Mass. 
Methuen,  Mass. 
Birmingham,  Ala. 
427  N.  Main  St., 
Gardner,  Mass. 
Amherst,  N.  S. 


Children 

Boys,  Girls.    Birthytar  and  Birthplace 


1860—  Portland,  Me. 

3  5  1849 — Nova  Scotia. 
1    3  18+2 — Nova  Scotia. 

2  i860 — Nova  Scotia. 

I    2  1843— Alva,  Scotland. 

Nova  Scotia. 

1865 — Nova  Scotia. 

1880 — Nova  Scotia. 
I    1  1879    Nova  Scotia. 
1882 — Nova  Scotia. 

1864 —  Nova  Scotia. 

1891 — Seattle,  Wash. 
3    3  1838 — Nova  Scotia. 

1  1  i860 — Nova  Scotia. 

1 861 —  New  Brunswick. 

1865 —  New  Brunswick. 

1869 — Methuen,  Mass. 
1871 — Methuen,  Mass. 

1895 — Methuen,  Mass. 
1888 — Lawrence,  Mass. 

2  2 

Nova  Scotia. 
1844 — Nova  Scotia. 


Brooklyn  Corner,  2 
Kings  County,  N.  S. 

Westbrook  Mills,  N.  S.  3 
Cumberland  Co.,  N.  S. 

South  Tacoma,  Wash. 

462 


1848 — Nova  Scotia. 
1856 — Nova  Scotia. 
2  1858 — Nova  Scotia. 


SOME  ARCHIBALD  HOMES 


Name 
George  R. 
Arthur  W. 
Harry  A. 
Nettie  F. 
George  W. 
Harry  R. 

Geo.  Henry 
Eben  H. 
Elbridge  H. 

Isaac  S. 

Joseph  P. 

Charles  H. 


Present  Address 

Stewiacke,  N.  S. 

Lochinvar,  Alberta,  Can. 

Box  366,  Vancouver,  B.  C 

Rawlin,  Wyoming 

Melita,  Man. 

1 137  Brent  Ave.,  Pasa- 
dena, Cal. 

Pasadena,  Cal. 

Syracuse,  N.  Y. 

120  1-2  Otis  St., 

E.  Cambridge,  Mass. 

Leitches  Creek, 
Cape  Breton 

487  Superior  St., 
Victoria,  B.  C. 

Strange,  York,  Ont. 


Children 
Boys, 


Warren  S.  Rev.  Pittsfield,  Mass. 
Louise  V 


St., 


41 15  Sherbrooke 

Montreal 
Acadia  University, 
Wolfville,  N.  S. 
175  Congress  St., 
Boston,  Mass. 
Edison  Company, 
Boston,  Mass. 
Wm.  Charles  203  Sudbury  Building, 
Boston,  Mass. 
Bear  River,  N.  S. 
134  Bellevue  Cove, 

Atlantic  City,  N.  J. 
Nobleton,  York  Co.,  Ont. 
Nobleton,  York  Co.,  Ont. 
Nobleton,  York  Co.,  Ont. 
George  H.  D.  Nobleton,  York  Co.,  Ont. 
Rounding  T.  Nobleton,  York  Co.,  Ont. 
Ralph  E.       Nobleton,  York  Co.,  Ont. 
Ambrose  A.   Nobleton,  York  Co.,  Ont. 
Bovina,  N.  Y. 
Eagle  River,  Ont. 
Scranton,  Pa. 
71  Queen  St.,  Truro,  N.  S. 
71  Queen  St.,  Truro,  N.  S. 
1735  13th  Ave., 

Vancouver,  B.  C. 
Minneapolis,  Minn. 

^3 


William  C. 

Earl  Stanley 

Isaac  Chip- 
man 


C.  C,  Dr. 
Joseph 

Robert  C. 
William  T. 
David  W.  E 


Sloan 

Herbert  D. 
George  M. 
Luther  B. 
Louise  L. 
A.  G. 

Alex.  R. 


Girls.    Birthyear  and  Birthplace 
I       1850 — Nova  Scotia. 
4    3  ^53 — Nova  Scotia. 
1        1875 — Nova  Scotia. 
1876 — Nova  Scotia. 
1873 — Nova  Scotia. 
1872 

1839 

1  1873 — Nova  Scotia. 
1 87 1 — Nova  Scotia. 

4    3  1846 — Nova  Scotia. 

2  I  1855— Nova  Scotia. 

2    6  1853 — Ontario 

Nova  Scotia. 
Nova  Scotia. 

1891 —  Nova  Scotia. 

1888—  Nova  Scotia. 
1886— Nova  Scotia. 

4    3  1842 — Nova  Scotia. 

1  1  1878 — Nova  Scotia. 

2  1  1840 — United  States. 

7  1848 — Ontario 
4  1877 — Ontario. 
I     I  1879 — Ontario. 

1881 — Ontario. 

1883 — Ontario. 

1889 —  Ontario. 

1892 —  Ontario. 

1  1  1848— New  York. 

2  1871 — New  Brunswick. 

1  1849 — Nova  Scotia. 

Nova  Scotia. 
1880 — Fort  Garry,  Can. 

I        1846 — Nova  Scotia. 


HOME-MAKING  AND  ITS  PHILOSOPHY 


Name 
Mrs.  Alex. 

(Nelson) 
Samuel 

Lucy  G. 
Mrs.  AlexN. 
James  B. 
Urbine  S. 
Lorine 
Thomas 
Mrs.  John  N, 
John  A. 
Leonard  M. 
Isaac  N. 
Robert  N. 
Nelson  A. 
Ralph  S. 
Arthur  T. 
Horace  M. 
Jr. 

George  W. 
John  W.  B. 


Present  Address 
South  Maitland,  N.  S. 

10  Union  St., 
Brockton.  Mass. 

Shubenacadie,  N.  S. 

Cambridge,  Mass. 

South  Maitland,  N.  S. 

South  Maitland,  N.  S. 

South  Maitland,  N.  S. 

Kentecook,  N.  S. 

Shubenacadie,  N.  S. 

Brockton,  Mass. 

Brockton,  Mass. 

Avon,  Mass. 

Brookville,  Mass. 

Brookville,  Mass. 

Brookville,  Mass. 

Jerome,  Arizona 

1501  S.  21st  St., 
Birmingham,  Ala. 

Lawrence,  Mass. 

Carnegie,  Man. 


Children 
Girls. 

6  1 


Birthyear  and  Birthplace 
Nova  Scotia. 


1    2  1867 — Nova  Scotia. 


1869- 

2  1871  — 
1875- 
1877- 
1879- 

I  1871- 

3  l842- 
1868- 

1  1870- 
1872- 
1874- 

2  1876- 


1884— 

1  1869- 
3  1879- 


Nova  Scotia. 
Nova  Scotia. 
Nova  Scotia. 
Nova  Scotia. 
Nova  Scotia. 
Nova  Scotia. 
Nova  Scotia. 
Nova  Scotia. 
Nova  Scotia. 
Nova  Scotia. 
Nova  Scotia. 
Nova  Scotia. 
Nova  Scotia. 
Nova  Scotia. 
Alabama. 

•Waltham,  Mass. 
-Brampton,  Ont. 


464 


APPENDIX 
FAMILY  LINEAGE 


GRANDFATHER'S  BOY 
Willie  Allison  Archibald,  age  five  years 


CHAPTER  I 


FAMILY  LINEAGE 

I.  Archibald,  Samuel  Burke,  second  son  of  John 
Archibald  2d,  b.  at  Truro,  Nova  Scotia,  November  12,  1776; 
m.  at  Musquodoboit  November  26,  1801,  Margaret  Wallace 
Dechman,  first  daughter  of  the  late  James  Dechman,  Esq., 
of  Edinburgh,  Scotland,  b.  May  26,  1781,  and  had  issue: 

1.  James  Dechman,  b.  August  22,  1802;  d.  March  15, 
1808. 

2.  Rachel  M.,  b.  March  24,  1804;  m.  July  20,  1825. 

3.  Margaret,  b.  November  19,  1806;  m.  January  17, 
1825. 

4.  Daniel  C,  b.  November  15,  1808;  m.  February  1, 
1830. 

5.  James  D.,  b.  July  II,  1810;  m.  February  15,  1832. 

6.  Grizzel  D.,  b.  March  5,  18 12;  m.  February  2,  1830. 

7.  John  G.  D.,  b.  July  14,  1814;  m.  January  15,  1837. 

8.  George  W.,  b.  May  30,  18 16;  m.  March  30,  1839;  d. 
October  29,  1899. 

9.  Wallace,  b.  February  19,  1818;  m.  October  27,  1840; 
d.  Christmas  morning,  i860. 

10.    Burke,  b.  April  15,  1821 ;  d.  December  20,  1901. 

II.  Samuel,  b.  January  7,  1823;  m.  

12.  William  A.  Nutter,  b.  October  9,  1825;  d.  January 
29,  1853.  Studied  at  Horton  Academy,  1841,  and  at  Acadia 
and  Harvard  Colleges;  graduated  in  medicine  at  Harvard, 
July  16,  1 85 1.  Ten  years  were  given  to  academy  teaching 
and  collegiate  training.  His  forceful  Christian  character 
stands  out  in  ideal  honor.  He  died  a  bachelor  at  the  age  of 
twenty-eight  years,  of  consumption,  widely  lamented. 

Samuel  Burke  Archibald  died  at  his  estate,  Musquo- 
doboit, Friday,  November  26,  1861,  aged  eighty-five  years. 

467 


HOME-MAKING  AND  ITS  PHILOSOPHY 


Margaret  Wallace,  his  wife,  died  at  his  estate  Friday,  August 
30,  1 86 1,  aged  eighty  years.  He  died  on  the  same  day 
of  the  week  and  the  same  day  of  the  month,  on  the  sixtieth 
anniversary  of  their  marriage.  "Blessed  are  the  dead  who 
die  in  the  Lord." 

II.  Archibald  Wallace,  son  of  Samuelj  Burke  and 
Margaret,  m.  at  Musquodoboit  Anna,  fourth  daughter  of 
Rev.  George  Richardson,  of  Stewiacke,  October  27,  1840,  and 


had  issue: 

1. 

Charles,  b.  July  31,  1841;  d.  1841. 

2. 

William  C,  b.  September  19,  1842. 

3- 

Harriet  Newell,  b.  June  3,  1844. 

4- 

Anthony  Dimock,  b.  January  22,  1847;  d.  1850. 

5- 

Emily  Judson,  b.  June  26,  1848. 

6. 

George  R.,  b.  January  31,  1850. 

7- 

Charles,  b.  April  30,  1852;  d.  1854. 

8. 

Arthur  C,  b.  December  15,  1853. 

9- 

Sarah  R.,  b.  June  2,  1856. 

10. 

Anna  Elizabeth,  b.  July  5,  1858. 

Emily  Judson  and  Sarah  Richardson  graduated  from  the 
Normal  School,  Truro. 

Wallace  Archibald  died  at  his  estate,  Musquodoboit, 
Christmas  morning,  i860.  Anna  Archibald,  his  wife,  died 
at  his  estate  October  6,  1868. 

III.  Archibald,  William  Charles,  son  of  Wallace 
and  Anna  Archibald  of  Musquodoboit,  m.  February  25,  1874 
Cordelia  Florence,  only  daughter  of  William  Buchanan,  Esq., 
Brooklyn,  Queens  County,  Nova  Scotia,  and  has  had  issue: 

1.  Harry  Allison,  b.  April  26,  1875. 

2.  Nettie  Florence,  b.  November  9,  1876. 

3.  Anna  Richardson,  b.  July  11,  1878. 

468 


ALLISON'S  LETTER 


FAMILY  LINEAGE 


4.    Mary  Innes,  b.  January,  1 880. 

Cordelia  Florence,  wife  of  William  Charles  Archibald, 
died  at  Wolfville,  December  10,  188 1.  Mary  Innes,  daugh- 
ter, died  October  26,  1882.  Anna  Richardson,  daughter, 
died  November  II,  1882.  They  are  buried  in  the  Wolfville 
cemetery. 

IV.  Archibald,  Harry  Allison,  son  of  William 
Charles  and  Cordelia  Florence  Archibald,  of  Musquodoboit 
and  Wolfville,  educated  at  Acadia  University,  married  by 
Rev.  Mr.  Harris,  Christ  Church,  Amherst,  April  9,  1898,  to 
Josephine  Fredericka,  daughter  of  the  late  F.  W.  and  Freder- 
icka  Beckmann,  of  Ellershouse,  great-great-granddaughter 
of  the  historian  and  scientist,  John  Beckmann,  Professor  of 
Economy  in  the  University  of  Gottingen  for  forty-five  years. 
Many  of  his  books  have  been  translated  into  English.  Had 
issue  William  H.  Allison  Archibald,  born  at  Amherst,  March 
22,  1904. 

This  is  Allison's  letter  translated,  written  at  the  age  of 
five.  He  is  sitting  at  his  mother's  side  chattering  while 
writing. 

Dear  Grandfather:  Thank  you  for  that  money.  I  am  going  to  buy  some 
serge  and  a  pair  of  stockings.  I  ate  five  apples  yesterday.  Are  you  having 
the  same  nice  sunshine  that  we  are  ? 

Your  little  Grandson, 

Allison. 

Archibald,  William  Charles,  married,  second,  April  16, 
1885,  Alexina  McKay,  only  daughter  of  Alexander  McKay 
of  Amherst,  and  had  issue: 

1.  Isaac  Chipman,  b.  March  22,  1886. 

2.  Earl  Stanley,  b.  February  18,  1888. 

3.  Henrietta  Feller,  b.  March  13,  1889;  d.  Juty  18, 
1893. 

469 


HOME-MAKING  AND  ITS  PHILOSOPHT 


4.  Mary  McKay,  b.  August  27,  1890. 

5.  William  Charles,  b.  November  2,  1891. 

6.  Ruby  Douglas,  b.  February  21,  1893. 

7.  Frances  Willard,  b.  May,  1894;  d.  August,  1894. 

8.  Eugene  Faville,  b.  May,  1894;  d.  August ,  1894. 

9.  Edison  Avalon,  b.  July  18,  1895;  d.  June  18,  1896. 
10.  Baby,  b.  October  21,  1896;  d.  October  30,  1896. 

IV.  Archibald,  Isaac  Chipman,  son  of  William 
Charles  and  Alexina  Archibald,  Wolfville,  N.  S.,  married 
June  10,  1908  Clara  Daniels,  only  daughter  of  Mrs.  Edward 
Daniels,  Lawrencetown,  a  graduate  of  Acadia  Seminary. 
The  ceremony  was  performed  by  Rev.  Dr.  W.  L.  Archibald, 
of  Wolfville,  assisted  by  Rev.  Dr.  Hutchison,  President  of 
Acadia  University,  and  Rev.  H.  S.  Bagnel.  The  presents 
were  many  and  handsome,  and  after  a  dainty  collation  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Archibald  left  on  a  trip  to  St.  John  and  Fredericton. 

Letter  to  William  Charles  Archibald,  from  his  son  Isaac 
Chipman,  written  at  Greenwich-on-the-Cornwallis,  June  25, 
1908. 

We  have  just  finished  tea  so  I  thought  I  would  write  a  few  lines  to  you. 
Dr.  DeBlois  preached  for  us  this  morning  an  excellent  sermon.  We  have 
no  letter  from  you  except  your  wire.  Take  good  care  of  yourself,  father, 
you  are  not  so  young  as  you  used  to  be.  I  am  very  sorry  to  know  you  are 
feeling  depressed.  I  sympathise  with  you  in  your  trouble.  I  wish  I  could 
smooth  your  path  and  make  it  easier.  I  have  and  will  continue  to  do  all  in 
my  power  to  straighten  the  way.  I  know  you  know  more  of  business  than 
perhaps  I  will  ever  know.  We  are  having  very  heavy  rain  to-day.  We 
had  a  very  fine  trip  on  the  river  to  Fredericton.  The  captain  and  officers 
of  the  Victoria  were  very  kind  and  we  enjoyed  it.  Our  friends  met  us  at 
the  wharf  and  invited  us  to  spend  Sabbath  with  them.  Clara  is  now  at  the 
piano;  wish  you  might  be  with  us  to  enjoy  the  music.  She  will  write  very 
soon.    Hope  to  hear  from  you  before  long,    Lots  of  love  from  us. 


470 


FAMILY  LINEAGE 


A  TRIBUTE  BY  THE  AUTHOR 
TO 

Commemorate 
Seven  years  of  Wedded  Life 
to 

Cordelia  Florence  Buchanan, 

Beloved  Wife  of 
William  Charles  Archibald, 
who  died  trusting  in  Jesus,  at  our  Home  in  Wolfville 
December  io,  1881, 
aged  26  YEARS. 

There  was  a  fineness  in  her  face  and  a  goodness  in  her 
manners  that  steadily  grew  greater. 

And  in  Memory 
of  our  two  beloved  little  daughters 
Mary  Innes  and 
Anna  Richardson 

"Life  is  a  mystery  as  deep  as  ever  death  can  be; 
Yet,  oh,  how  sweet  to  us  this  life  we  live  and  see! 

"Then  might  they  say, — these  vanished  ones, — and  blessed 
is  the  thought; 

So  death  is  sweet  to  us,  beloved,  though  we  may  tell  you 
naught/' 

Father,  son  and  daughter  are  relieved  by  the  Easter  Hope. 

"  I  hope  to  see  my  pilot  face  to  face 
When  I  have  crossed  the  bar." 


471 


HOME-MAKING  AND  ITS  PHILOSOPHY 


The  happy  days  of  manhood  and  womanhood  began  in 
soul-mating  which  was  a  prelude  to  home-making.  The 
future  was  set  in  roseate  prospects.  Our  hearts  were  true 
and  tender  in  mutual  devotion.  Our  lives  were  joined  to- 
gether in  home  building.  Her  vocal  and  instrumental  music 
softened  every  asperity  of  daily  life  and  lifted  our  lives  into 
the  sweeter  influence  of  harmony.  Her  soul  was  ever  an 
inspiration  to  best  endeavor.  Our  dear  baby  girls  Anna  and 
Mary  went  to  their  mother  within  a  year.  They  needed  her 
spirit  life — "dear  olive  branches  in  the  other  homeland  now 
larger  grown"  in  supernal  grace.  I  am  grateful  now  for 
knowing  their  sweet  and  enduring  love. 

Letter  to  Mrs.  W.  C.  Archibald,  from  her  father,  William 
Buchanan,  Brooklyn,  N.  S.,  May  27,  1874: 

With  pleasure  I  take  this  opportunity  to  write  to  you.  We  received 
yours  of  the  15th,  and  were  much  pleased  to  know  you  were  both  well.  I 
do  not  wonder  you  were  disappointed  without  letters  from  your  mother  and 
me.  The  children  had  all  sent  you  a  full  envelope  and  we  were  waiting 
yours.  Your  dear  mother  is  well  this  spring  and  all  the  family  will  be 
looking  for  your  visit  this  early  autumn.  I  am  quite  well  now,  better  than 
I  have  been  for  months. 

In  reference  to  yourself  not  being  much  missed,  I  think  it  would  be  very 
hard  to  take  the  only  daughter  out  of  any  family  and  not  have  her  missed. 
We  find  it  so,  we  assure  you. 

Dear  Florence,  your  kind  invitation  to  visit  you  this  summer  we  would 
like  to  accept,  but  I  would  find  it  difficult  to  leave  now.  However,  your 
mother  is  planning  to  go  if  nothing  prevents.  You  write  that  perhaps  John 
would  come  this  summer.  We  think  we  will  let  him  go  in  about  two  weeks, 
if  agreeable  to  you  and  William. 

George  and  Arthur  Archibald  are  boarding  here  while  attending  the 
Liverpool  Academy.  They  row  across  the  harbor  morning  and  evening. 
John  is  not  very  healthy  and  a  change  may  do  him  good. 

We  are  anxious  about  you,  and  hope  that  your  health  will  continue. 
Your  mother  and  I  want  to  know  how  you  are  getting  along  in  your  house- 
hold duties.  I  know  you  are  quite  young  for  so  much  care.  I  hope  and 
trust  God  will  guide  and  help  you.  Look  to  Him.  I  hope  that  you  both 
go  to  the  throne  of  grace  for  help  and  strength  in  every  time  of  need.  We 
all  wish  to  see  you  very  much,  and  the  time  will  seem  long.  These  things 
are  of  the  world  and  we  must  submit  to  them.  Your  last  letter  reached  us 
on  Tuesday. 

472 


FAMILY  LINEAGE 


Emma  and  your  mother  have  gone  to  bed;  also  Rogers  and  Milford. 
John  will  give  you  all  the  minor  and  newsy  things.  Your  mother  is  work- 
ing something  to  take  to  you. 

Receive  our  united  and  earnest  invitations  for  the  expected  visit.  Give 
our  love  to  William  and  Sister  Annie.    From  your  loving  father. 

A  letter  written  by  Mrs.  Cordelia  F.  B.  Archibald  to 
her  brother  John,  from  Wolfville,  August  31,  1880: 

Dearest — shall  I  say  it — Brother!  but  I  am  afraid  the  others  might  be 
jealous.  I  must  ask  your  pardon  for  offending  you  so  sorely,  but  it  is  not 
quite  so  bad  as  you  would  have  it.  I  wrote  one  letter  to  you  and  sent  en- 
closed with  one  I  was  sending  home.    I  am  very  glad  to  get  yours  to-day. 

You  are  still  teaching,  I  see.  How  do  you  like  it  ?  And  are  you  getting 
a  good  salary  ?  I  hope  you  have  heard  from  Rogers  ere  this — if  you  have 
please  write  me  at  once.  I  wrote  to  him  a  week  ago.  I  sincerely  hope  he 
is  better  and  will  be  spared  to  return.  How  he  will  miss  his  home  and 
parents.  Annie  is  not  able  to  do  much  yet.  We  do  not  know  whether 
she  will  be  over  this  autumn  or  not. 

We  had  a  visit  from  George  R.  Archibald  and  his  wife  for  two  weeks 
and  it  was  spent  very  pleasantly.  I  have  written  for  Emma  to  come,  I  hope 
she  will.  And  so  Loretta  has  another  baby.  How  fast  they  do  gather. 
She  will  soon  have  quite  a  family.  The  baby  Mary  Innes  looks  like  Nettie; 
more  so  than  the  rest.  She  is  just  as  good  as  she  can  be,  and  Anna  is  very 
mischievous.    It  keeps  one  busy  looking  after  them. 

I  will  enclose  Annie's  last  letter  for  it  is  interesting.  I  have  not  time 
to  write  more  and  I  hope  you  will  excuse  and  write  me  a  good  long  letter 
on  receipt  of  this. 

William  is  away,  and  will  be  till  the  last  of  September — so  I  want  lots 
of  letters  from  home.  I  have  thought  of  you  much  of  late.  I  will  try  to 
give  you  a  longer  letter  next  time.  My  writing  looks  very  shabby  after 
looking  at  all  your  flourishes. 

We  subscribed  for  the  New  York  Independent  and  got  Worcester's 
Unabridged  Dictionary  as  premium  by  paying  three  years  in  advance — like 
it  very  much. 

A  letter  to  Mrs.  Archibald  from  her  young  brother  John, 
now  in  Rawlins,  Wyoming,  with  a  fine  family  of  his  own,  and 
also  Grandma  Buchanan  and  Nettie  Florence,  written  from 
Brooklyn,  April  3,  1874: 

We  have  not  heard  from  you  for  a  good  while  and  I  can  tell  you  that  we 
are  quite  worried  about  you.  Emmeline  has  gone  away  on  a  visit.  Father 
and  mother  have  gone  to  Liverpool  this  evening.  Ellie,  James,  and  Janet 
Starratt  are  here  and  we  are  playing  checkers.    We  had  examinations 

473 


HOME-MAKING  AND  ITS  PHILOSOPHT 


to-day.  This  is  the  last  examination  this  term  except  the  oral  one.  We 
have  a  great  revival  in  the  town,  in  the  lower  meeting  house,  and  most  every 
person  is  getting  good.  Wilson,  Eliza,  Helena,  Carrie,  Helen,  and  Emily 
are  trying  to  be  better.  Ellie  says  she  is  getting  good,  but  I  do  not  see  much 
change  in  her  or  Janet  either.  Mrs.  S.  has  just  come  in  and  I  must  close 
my  letter,  so  I  will  end  by  bidding  you  good-bye. 

P.S.  Mother  has  just  reached  home  and  not  any  letters  yet  from  you. 
If  you  knew  how  anxious  mother  is  to  hear  from  you,  I  know  that  you 
would  write.  Father  is  not  well  and  the  doctors  say  it  will  be  some  time 
before  he  recovers  his  health.  My  kindest  respects  to  brother  William  and 
all  the  family. 

Letter  to  W.  C.  Archibald,  from  his  daughter-in-law,  Mrs. 

H.  A.  Archibald,  written  at  Halifax,  August  9,  1909. 

I  was  very  glad  to  receive  your  kind  letter  of  the  3d  inst.  Allison,  I  am 
sorry  to  say,  is  not  very  well.  This  is  the  first  summer  I  have  not  been  able 
to  get  him  somewhere  into  the  country,  and  he  misses  it  very  much,  but 
living  is  so  high,  and  everything  so  dear,  that  I  cannot  take  him  away;  but 
I  give  him  all  the  fresh  air  possible  here.  Harry  has  gone  to  Vancouver, 
B.  C,  seeking  larger  opportunities.  I  am  sure  he  will  be  glad  to  hear 
from  you. 

It  is  too  bad  about  dear  Aunt  Sarah's  illness.  She  has  been  ill  so  long 
and  suffered  so  much  I  I  had  a  short  but  very  bright  letter  from  her  last 
week  and,  as  you  say,  she  seems  very  hopeful  herself. 

And  now  for  the  information  you  ask  for:  Allison  was  born  at  Amherst, 
March  22,  1904.  I  am  sorry  I  have  no  photograph  of  Allison  left,  but  I 
could  have  one  finished  in  a  week  or  so,  if  that  would  not  be  too  late;  if  not 
let  me  know  and  I  will  have  it  done  just  as  soon  as  possible. 

Allison  sends  letter  and  love  to  grandpapa.  Trusting  you  are  enjoying 
good  health,  I  remain 

Yours  very  sincerely. 

Letter  to  W.  C.  Archibald,  from  his  son  Harry  Allison, 
written  at  Vancouver,  B.  C,  August  24,  1909: 

I  received  your  very  welcome  letter  of  the  18th  inst.  I  had  intended 
writing  you  last  month,  but  things  moved  so  swiftly  I  did  not  do  it.  Had  a 
good  deal  on  my  mind.  This  is  the  nicest  city  I  ever  was  in.  Of  course  I 
have  not  been  in  a  great  number,  but  I  like  it  and  like  the  climate  here,  if 
I  could  only  enjoy  it,  but  I  am  half  sick  most  of  the  time.  For  farming 
and  fruit  growing  I  think  this  province  has  advantages  not  equalled  in 
Canada.  Some  of  the  most  magnificent  fruit  I  have  ever  seen  is  raised 
here.  If  I  liked  farming  or  was  inclined  that  way  I  would  certainly  locate 
here.  But  you  ought  to  see  it  yourself.  If  I  knew  anything  about  that 
business  I  would  be  tempted  to  try  it.    You  have  no  idea  of  what  this 

474 


FAMILY  LINEAGE 


province  is — was  never  so  surprised  in  my  life.  The  people  here  claim 
that  Vancouver  will  in  a  few  years  be  the  greatest  city  on  the  Pacific  Coast, 
either  in  United  States  and  Canada,  and  things  look  that  way.  If  I  only 
had  Josephine  and  Allison  with  me  I  would  not  be  so  bad,  but  being  parted 
from  them  makes  me  sick  at  heart.  I  know  Allison  should  have  country  air 
but  do  not  see  how  it  can  be  managed  this  summer.  Am  very  glad  you  have 
been  helped  by  the  treatment  in  the  hospital.  Was  in  Tacoma  last  Sabbath 
and  saw  Aunt  Annie.  She  is  quite  well.  Am  glad  to  know  Aunt  Sarah  is 
improving.  She  has  had  a  very  serious  time.  Was  in  to  the  A.  Y.  P.  E. 
at  Seattle  for  a  few  hours;  it  is  a  big  show  and  will  do  Vancouver  and  British 
Columbia  a  lot  of  good.  Vancouver  is  benefiting  already.  I  miss  my  wife 
and  little  boy  more  than  I  can  say.  Had  no  idea  being  parted  would  be  so 
hard,  but  it  is  taking  the  heart  right  out  of  me.  Would  like  to  hear  from 
you  as  I  am  very  lonely. 

Letter  to  W.  C.  Archibald,  from  J.  E.  Buchanan,  written 
at  Rawlins,  Wyo.,  September  15,  1909: 

Your  esteemed  favor  came  to  hand  a  short  time  ago,  but  I  had  just 
gotten  home  from  a  little  vacation  and  my  work  being  somewhat  behind  I 
could  not  get  time  to  look  up  those  letters. 

When  I  was  in  Wolfville  I  took  care  of  the  only  letters  that  I  had  of 
Florence's,  but  there  were  only  three  I  could  find,  so  herewith  enclose  one. 

When  I  left  Prince  Edward  Island  I  left  all  my  old  letters  behind,  and 
when  the  folks  followed  they  destroyed  about  all  the  old  letters  there  were 
lying  around.  I  have  still  two  letters,  a  memorial  card  and  a  picture  of  her 
monument  preserved;  yes  and  a  few  flowers  also — that  is  all  except  a  very 
sacred  memory.    Very  few  were  her  peers. 

I  am  sorry  I  have  been  so  interrupted  that  I  cannot  take  time  to  devote 
to  this  letter,  but  I  have  to  take  Mrs.  Stewart  and  Eveleen  home;  in  fact 
it  is  bedtime,  and  I  fully  intended  to  write  you  a  good  letter,  but  I  have 
delayed  so  long  that  it  would  not  be  right  to  keep  you  waiting  longer. 

Yes,  there  have  been  many  changes  since  I  saw  you.  I  presume  I 
would  not  know  you  nor  would  you  probably  know  me.  I,  myself,  am 
pressing  fifty  years  pretty  hard.  My  eldest  boy  is  past  twenty-one  years. 
I  am  getting  along  pretty  well,  am  earning  a  fairly  good  salary',  but  living 
is  so  dreadfully  high  that  it  is  impossible  to  save  very  much. 

Am  sorry  that  I  must  close.  Mrs.  Stewart  and  Eveleen,  grandma  and 
all  the  family  wish  to  be  remembered.  We  would  be  very  pleased  to  see 
you  out  here  whenever  you  could  make  it  convenient.  Kindly  remember 
me  to  your  brothers,  sisters  and  family. 

Nettie  is  out  of  town  just  now  on  vacation — expect  her  home  to-morrow. 

Letter  to  Mr.  W.  C.  Archibald  from  Mrs.  Mary  Mel- 
lish  Archibald,  written  at  Halifax,  December  30,  188 1. 

This  is  a  very  severe  trial  which  you  have  been  called  upon  to  pass 

475 


HOME-MAKING  AND  ITS  PHILOSOPHT 


through.  May  our  loving  Father  support  and  comfort  you  in  this  bereave- 
ment. I  have  never  had  the  pleasure  of  becoming  personally  acquainted 
with  dear  Mrs.  A.,  yet  from  what  I  have  known  of  her  from  my  husband, 
sister  A.,  and  others  I  have  been  led  to  believe  her  to  be  a  noble  woman — 
one  well  fitted  to  train  and  nurture  the  minds  and  characters  of  her  dear 
little  children.  I  feel  deeply  for  those  dear  little  ones  thus  early  in  life 
bereft  of  a  loving  and  affectionate  mother.  God  alone  fully  knows  their 
loss.  When  we  lose  a  mother  we  lose  our  best  earthly  friend.  May  God 
watch  over  you  and  them  and  ever  guide  you  in  the  way  of  all  truth,  is  my 
earnest  prayer.  Look  ever  to  Jesus,  dear  brother,  He  will  carry  you 
through.  "God  has  His  mysteries  of  grace,  ways  that  we  cannot  tell";  and 
all  is  well.  Oh,  what  comforting  words  to  the  dear  ones  left  to  follow  her 
to  the  heavenly  home.  "There  is  no  death,  what  seems  so  is  transition. 
This  life  of  mortal  breath  is  but  a  suburb  of  the  life  Elysian,  whose  portals 
we  call  death."  She  is  not  dead,  the  wife  of  your  affection,  but  "  gone 
into  that  school  where  she  no  longer  needs  our  poor  protection,  and  Christ 
himself  doth  rule."  God  bless  and  keep  you,  dear  brother.  Please  give 
my  love  to  the  dear  little  ones.    I  remain  truly  your  sympathizing  sister. 

Letter  to  Grandfather  Archibald,  written  in  a  copper- 
plate hand  by  his  son  William  A.  N.  Archibald  at  sixteen 
years  of  age,  at  Horton  Academy,  October  4,  1841: 

As  I  am  here  and  settled  to  my  mind,  or  at  least  contented  with  my 
situation,  I  take  up  my  pen  to  address  you  by  way  of  letter,  though  at  a 
distance  from  you  at  present.  I  trust  my  heart  beats  with  the  same  glowing 
love  towards  you  as  when  present  with  you,  for  who  can  forget,  let  his 
situation  be  what  it  will,  a  parent's  kindness  who  watched  over  him  in  his 
younger  years.  But  I  haste  to  inform  you  of  my  situation  at  present.  I 
am  in  good  health,  and  I  think  the  object  of  my  coming  here  will  not  be  in 
vain.  I  am  at  present  studying  English  grammar  and  geography,  with 
arithmetic.  I  like  the  place  here  very  much.  I  can  see  vessels  sailing  on 
the  water  almost  every  day.  I  expect  to  go  home  about  Christmas,  if  I 
am  well.  I  have  not  much  to  tell  you  that  will  be  interesting  to  you,  but  I 
trust  that  gratitude  towards  God  who  has  taken  such  great  care  of  me  will 
ever  occupy  an  exalted  place  in  my  thoughts. 

I  wish  you  to  give  my  warmest  love  to  my  mother,  brothers  and  sisters 
and  to  Mrs.  Wallace  A.     In  the  meantime  believe  me  your  affectionate  son. 

Dr.  William  A.  N.  Archibald  graduated  at  Harvard,  July 
16,  1 85 1.  Extracts  from  Dr.  Archibald's  diary,  Acadia 
College  : 

December  3,  1848. 
I  feel  much  cast  down  in  mind  and  grieved  on  account  of  my  sins  and 
shortcomings.    My  soul  is  much  impressed  with  a  weight  of  eternal  things. 
I  feel  very  weak  of  myself  and  earnestly  desire  strength  from  on  high.  My 

476 


FAMILY  LINEAGE 


mind  is  much  exercised  with  regard  to  the  path  of  duty.  I  desire  to  walk 
in  that  path  God  has  marked  out  for  me.  O  my  Father,  direct  me  and 
keep  me  in  Thy  fear  and  pour  me  out  a  blessing, 

December  10,  1848. 

I  have  enjoyed  myself  much  better  to-day,  though  my  mind  has  been 
impressed  with  eternal  things,  yet  it  has  been  elevated  and  directed  to  the 
happiness  that  awaits  the  Christian,  and  the  sure  possession  of  hope.  I 
desire  more  grace,  that  I  may  be  kept  from  all  sin  and  sinful  desires. 

December  17,  1848. 

I  have  to-day  reflected  much  on  the  depravity  of  human  nature,  and 
also  how  depraved  is  man,  how  prone  to  do  wickedly  and  to  rebel  against 
God.  My  mind  has  been  occupied  with  the  goodness  of  God — His  great- 
ness and  His  dealings  with  the  sons  of  men.  O!  that  I  could  serve  Him 
better  and  love  Him  more,  and  that  my  feeble  understanding  may  compre- 
hend more  of  His  divine  nature  and  will,  that  my  mind  were  enlightened 
in  the  truth  and  may  ever  be  directed  by  wisdom  from  on  high,  that  my 
path  of  duty  may  become  brighter  and  brighter,  so  that  I  may  always 
glorify  my  Heavenly  Father  and  be  prepared  to  enjoy  His  presence  through 
an  endless  eternity. 

The  enjoyment  and  privileges  of  the  Christian  I  feel  to  be  uppermost 
to  everything  else.  He  is  travelling  to  obtain  that  crown  of  immortal  life. 
His  desires  and  affections  rest  not  on  earth,  for  he  feels  himself  a  traveller 
to  another  land.  The  man  of  the  world  has  nothing  in  view  but  his  present 
enjoyment  and  happiness,  living  an  anticipated  happiness  and  never  ob- 
taining, and  at  last  is  overwhelmed  with  the  thought  of  enduring  eternal 
banishment  from  His  presence. 

February  28, 1849. 
For  some  time  my  mind  has  not  been  very  seriously  impressed  with 
anything  very  particular,  though  I  have  never  lost  sight  of  that  in  which  my 
greatest  interest  lies.    My  desire  is  to  grow  in  grace,  increase  in  wisdom; 
and  advance  towards  that  rest  which  remains  for  God's  people. 

September  30,  1849. 
I  desire  to  live  under  a  continual  sense  of  my  dependence  upon  God. 
To-day  there  have  been  two  funeral  sermons  preached,  one  by  Dr. 
Pryor,  the  other  by  Father  Harding,  on  Mrs.  Armstrong's  death.  Every- 
thing reminds  us  that  the  fashion  of  this  world  passeth  away.  As  I  am 
about  to  leave  for  a  strange  land,  I  desire  to  go  wholly  depending  upon  God, 
trusting  in  Him  and  seeking  His  counsel  to  guide  and  direct  me  through  the 
changing  scenes  of  this  life.  I  know  not  I  shall  ever  return  to  Nova  Scotia. 
Life  is  uncertain  and  time  is  short.  May  I  ever  be  proved  ready  for  the 
messenger  Death,  and  be  made  fit  by  the  grace  of  God  for  the  inheritance 
of  the  saints  in  light. 

Musquodoboit,  January,  1852. 
Review  of  the  past.    Ten  years  have  elapsed  since  I  left  home  and  went 
into  the  world.    I  went  to  Horton,  October,  1841,  just  at  the  age  of  sixteen 

477 


HOME-MAKING  AND  ITS  PHILOSOPHY 


years — spent  one  year  in  the  academy,  fitting  for  college.  Then  I  taught 
school  two  years  in  the  Eastern  Passage,  Halifax  County,  and  returned  to 
Acadia  College;  studied  one  year,  and  left  much  against  my  inclination,  but 
persuaded  by  friends  who,  knowing  nothing  of  a  course  of  study,  the 
difficulties  attending  it  and  the  importance  of  following  it  without  inter- 
ruptions, I  was  induced  the  second  time  to  leave  my  studies  and  take  a 
school.  My  father  had  just  settled  his  business,  and  left  me  with  nothing 
to  enable  me  to  pursue  my  studies.  Here  I  was  much  disappointed,  as  I 
had  a  right  to  expect  his  assistance  to  enable  me  to  finish  my  college  course. 
I  then  taught  school  six  months  each  in  Stewiacke  and  Newport,  and  one 
year  in  Horton  Academy  as  English  teacher. 

It  was  during  this  latter  period  that  my  mind  was  seriously  exercised 
with  regard  to  my  future  course,  and  the  necessity  of  an  exertion  on  my 
part  in  order  to  accomplish  anything  in  the  way  of  study.  I  decided  upon 
the  study  of  medicine,  and  immediately  began  a  course  of  reading  pre- 
paratory to  attending  lectures.  I  then  spent  upwards  of  a  year  in  Acadia 
College  pursuing  chemistry  and  those  studies  immediately  connected  with 
the  profession  I  had  chosen.  In  October,  1850, 1  left  Acadia  for  the  United 
States.  I  joined  the  Harvard  Medical  School  in  Boston,  and  after  the  most 
diligent  study  and  attention  I  graduated  at  Cambridge  July  16,  1 851 .  The 
first  year  I  spent  at  Horton  was  not  the  least,  but  perhaps  the  most  import- 
ant of  any  for,  some  time  previous  to  my  going  there,  I  had  serious  impres- 
sions on  my  mind  with  regard  to  eternal  things.  There  by  the  frequent 
and  earnest  appeals  to  the  conscience  of  the  sinner,  especially  by  Dr.  Pryor, 
my  mind  was  aroused  to  greater  energy  than  ever  to  seek  an  interest  in 
the  Saviour — the  soul's  salvation. 

The  existence  of  this  fragment  of  Dr.  Archibald's  diary 
and  letters  was  not  known  to  the  writer  when  the  prepara- 
tion of  this  book  began,  nor  the  existence  of  the  various  family 
letters  now  selected  for  an  appendix  to  this  volume.  But 
the  author  is  sure  the  thoughtful  reader  will  appreciate  their 
appearance  for  the  family  strength  and  personal  interest 
and  for  the  power  to  which  they  point,  that  indissoluble 
principle  inlaid  for  generations,  uniting  a  family  in  a  home 
under  one  paternal  roof. 

Around  this  family  clusters  the  sacredness  of  home  life, 
principles  impossible  of  violation,  because  all  human  desire 
and  unholy  imaginings  are  subdued  and  subordinated  to  the 
only  truthful  foundation  on  which  a  nation's  highest  hopes 
can  be  achieved  and  its  permanency  maintained. 

478 


FAMILY  LINEAGE 


The  growing  thought  that  the  home  may  be  broken  into 
fragments  for  personal  reasons,  has  its  seed  thought  in  the 
hearts  where  the  principles  of  home  life  are  weakest  in  in- 
heritance. The  strength  of  a  principle  depends  upon  its 
centuries  of  growth.  What  mankind  to-day  needs  most  is 
power  and  strength  of  will  to  control  all  the  energies  of  man 
to  build  in  eternal  truth  for  both  worlds. 

Dr.  Archibald's  review  of  the  past  was  written  in  the  last 
year  of  his  life,  and  is  but  a  portion  of  a  larger  plan  for  his  life 
which  he  had  in  view.  He  was  highly  endowed  with  superior 
force  of  will,  ambition  and  high  purpose.  His  father  aided 
him  in  the  first  year  at  Horton  Academy  at  least,  and  gave 
him  from  the  age  of  sixteen  the  five  remaining  years  for 
his  own  use  for  earning  and  study.  Perhaps  he  should  have 
done  more.  Had  he  lived  in  our  day,  doubtless  he  would 
have  mortgaged  his  property.  The  writer  has  felt  it  to  be 
wise  and  just  to  give  this  fragment  as  Dr.  Archibald  wrote  it. 
Both  father  and  son  were  actuated  by  noble  principles  and 
the  warmest  affection  for  each  other  to  the  day  of  his  early 
death. 

Rev.  George  Richardson 
"Father  Richardson" — for  so  the  good  man  was  com- 
monly known — died  at  his  home  near  Sydney,  C.  B.,  on 
January  4,  1878,  having  almost  reached  the  age  of  eighty- 
eight.  This  devoted  and  faithful  servant  of  Christ  was  born 
in  Ireland  in  1790.  His  parents  were  of  English  descent  and 
belonged  to  the  Episcopal  Church,  in  which  system  he  was 
carefully  instructed.  Early  in  life  he  was  brought  to  a  per- 
sonal knowledge  and  experience  of  the  grace  of  God  that 
renews  the  heart  and  transforms  the  life.  His  experience 
was  deep  and  his  conversion  thorough,  and  he  soon  after 
became  a  member  of  the  Baptist  Church  in  his  native  town. 
Having  found  the  way  of  life  himself,  he  at  once  began  to 

479 


HOME-MAKING  AND  ITS  PHILOSOPHY 


labor  for  the  salvation  of  those  about  him;  and  so  evangelical 
and  earnest  were  these  efforts  that  by  the  divine  blessing  they 
resulted  in  bringing  numbers  to  God,  among  whom  were 
several  of  his  near  relatives. 

He  continued  to  labor  in  the  Gospel  with  the  hearty  ap- 
proval of  all  his  brethren,  and  about  the  year  1820  emigrated 
to  Canada.  After  remaining  for  a  short  time  in  Quebec,  he 
came  to  Nova  Scotia,  where  he  served  the  Master  faithfully 
in  various  places,  almost  to  the  close  of  his  long  career.  St. 
Margaret's  Bay,  Hammond's  Plains,  Stewiacke,  Isaac  Har- 
bour, and  Sydney  were  the  principal  scenes  of  his  labours; 
but  he  preached  more  or  less  frequently  in  many  other  places. 
He  was  ordained  at  Hammond's  Plains  in  the  year  1822. 

Our  venerable  brother  was  remarkable  for  his  thorough 
soundness  in  the  faith.  He  held  the  great  facts  and  truths 
of  the  Gospel  with  a  strong,  unfaltering  grasp.  Jesus  was 
the  center  of  his  religious  system.  With  what  rapture  and 
triumph  he  was  wont  to  speak  of  the  finished  work  of  re- 
demption through  Christ!  The  word  of  God  was  his  de- 
light; and  so  fully  had  he  devoted  himself  to  it  that  his  mind 
was  stored  with  its  doctrines  and  precepts.  He  was  a  man 
of  very  deep  feelings.  In  private  conversation  on  the  great 
themes  of  redemption,  in  the  public  services  of  the  sanctuary, 
and  especially  at  the  Lord's  table,  his  soul  seemed  to  overflow 
with  gratitude  and  love. 

His  manner  of  speaking  was  peculiar,  and  somewhat 
abrupt,  so  that  he  frequently  made  an  unfavorable  impres- 
sion upon  strangers.  But  those  who  best  knew  him  esteemed 
him  highly  in  love,  and  will  long  remember  his  odd  sayings 
and  his  pointed  addresses  to  persons  with  whom  he  met. 

Having  a  strong,  clear  voice,  and  a  ready  command  of 
language,  he  was  a  forcible  speaker,  and  retained  his  preach- 
ing ability  nearly  to  the  last.    To  sum  up  all,  "  He  was  a  good 

480 


FAMILY  LINEAGE 


man,  and  fall  of  the  Holy  Ghost  and  of  faith, "  and  as  a  con- 
sequence, "much  people  was  added  unto  the  Lord." 

A  letter  from  Rev.  George  Richardson  to  our  mother, 
written  at  Sydney  River,  C.  B.5  April  16,  1850.  This  letter 
is  on  a  double  sheet  of  foolscap,  folded  to  envelope  size  and 
sealed  with  wax. 

Your  brother  George  has  lately  written  to  me.  The  information  has 
surprised  us  very  much.  We  little  thought  that  at  Halifax  the  small-pox 
should  so  have  prostrated  him,  but  to  sundry  diseases  we  are  all  liable  each 
moment.  He  writes  that  since  the  affliction,  his  bodily  health  has  "im- 
proved.   This  is  cause  for  gratitude  to  the  Most  High. 

George  also  in  writing  refers  to  a  communication  of  yours  in  which  he 
states  that  the  Almighty  has  given  you  a  son,  and  that  you  were  in  a  pros- 
perous condition.  These  tidings  are  cheering  to  us,  although  so  remote 
from  each  other.  I  hope  your  son  may  live  to  honor  God  and  his  parents, 
and  that  his  parents  may,  in  accordance  with  their  exalted  profession,  be  a 
pattern  in  their  religious  course,  every  way  worthy  the  imitation  of  gracious 
children  and  of  the  people  of  God  around. 

O,  my  children,  let  me  call  your  attention  to  the  amazing  display  of  our 
Heavenly  Father's  unparalleled  love  in  the  gift  of  His  dear  Son  to  redeem 
us  from  the  curse  of  the  divine  law,  "being  made  a  curse  for  us,"  though 
He  knew  no  sin,  that  we  might  be  made  the  righteousness  of  God  in  Him. 
O  unparalleled  love,  from  an  offended  Sovereign  to  the  vile  offenders. 
How  our  hearts  should  glow  with  gratitude  to  our  Heavenly  Father  for  such 
stupendous  mercy  as  this. 

I  hope  that  you  and  Wallace  are  living  under  this  dispensation  as 
Zacharias  and  Elizabeth  under  the  power  dispensation.  If  so,  let  grace, 
mercy  and  peace  be  multiplied  unto  you  for  ever,  from  God  our  Father  and 
the  Lord  Jesus  Christ.  When  the  Eastern  and  Western  Antichrists  are 
viewed  and  reviewed  in  their  mode  of  living  for  eternity,  and  the  simple  life 
of  faith  upon  the  Son  of  God  practised  by  the  Christians  is  compared  with  the 
same,  what  a  contrast  is  presented  to  view.  The  features  of  one  present  us 
with  the  pitiful  and  not  less  formidable  picture  of  the  grossest  superstition 
that  imagination  can  paint,  whilst  the  other  presents  us  with  features  no 
man  can  well  sketch,  but  the  volume  of  inspiration  amply  supplies  the 
picture.  Please  read  the  following  Scriptures,  which  bear  upon  this  lucid 
subject:  Psalm  45:13-14;  Psalm  125;  Ezekiel  16:14;  Colossians  2:10; 
Colossians  4:12;  Revelation  12:1.  These  with  many  others  witness  the 
dignity  of  Christianity.  See  Hebrews  1 1  on  this  interesting  subject.  How 
unillumined  must  he  be  that  seeth  no  glory,  no  beauty,  no  dignity,  no  loveli- 
ness in  being  united  with  the  love  of  God.  Now  that  faith  is  an  operation 
of  the  Holy  Ghost,  draw  the  veil  aside  and  look  into  the  unseen.  What 
adds  to  this  subject  is,  that  this  mission  is  indissoluble  as  far  as  John  15:2 


481 


HOME-MAKING  AND  ITS  PHILOSOPHT 


testifieth  compared  with  Philippians  1 :6  notwithstanding  the  blessedness  of  a 
life  of  faith. 

We  know  that  the  Christian  is  not  exempt  from  a  perpetual  warfare  in 
his  own  bosom,  carried  on  between  the  two  hostile  powers,  the  law  of  sin 
and  the  law  of  the  spirit  of  life  in  Christ  Jesus,  known  by  flesh  and  spirit. 
And  now  it  may  be  asked  why  father  dwells  so  much  on  a  subject  that  is  so 
common.  I  will  give  my  reason  in  a  few  words:  As  the  blessed  Bible 
abounds  with  admonitions  we  all  need.  Why  ?  Because  we  are  liable  to 
let  truth  slip  and  fall  into  decay,  which  must  be  very  dishonorable  to  God 
and  ruinous  to  our  comfort  and  consolation,  which  are  provided  in  the 
everlasting  Gospel  of  the  Christ  of  God,  and  now  the  apostles'  prayer  will 
suit  us  admirably.    It  is,  "  Lord,  increase  our  faith." 

0  that  we  had  more  of  that  blessed  grace  on  earth.  It  may  be  our 
happiness,  Anna. 

Sometimes  I  feel  it  would  be  a  treat  to  drop  in  among  you  as  in  former 
days,  and  spend  a  few  hours  in  friendly  chat  with  grandfather  and  grand- 
mother. But  the  privilege  is  denied,  and  we  must  submit.  I  ask  again 
why  cannot  grandfather  and  mother,  if  life  and  health  are  spared  them,  pay 
us  a  friendly  visit  next  summer  ?  We  should  esteem  it  a  privilege.  Tell 
them  I  think  they  should  accept  the  invitation. 

If  you  feel  inclined  to  write  me  a  letter  and  let  me  know  how  you  all  are, 
I  should  accept  the  favor,  and  in  addition  you  will  please  tender  my  affec- 
tion to  my  dear  Eliza  and  husband  and  family.  Also  should  you  write, 
please  let  me  know  how  they  are  succeeding  for  time  and  eternity.  I  can- 
not but  naturally  feel  for  their  state. 

My  family  at  home  is  in  an  ordinary  state  of  health.  Sarah  is  just 
improving,  after  her  most  perilous  situation,  for  which  let  the  Most  High 
have  the  glory. 

1  suppose  that  George  has  informed  you  that  John  and  family,  with 
Mary  Ann  Lingley  and  one  child,  are  now  located  at  St.  Johns,  Newfound- 
land. The  other  two  are  a  boon  conferred  on  me  for  the  winter,  and  they 
are  doing  well.  I  had  almost  forgotten  to  ask  when  Wallace  and  yourself 
intend  to  visit  us.  Come  and  see  us.  I  conclude  conjointly  with  my 
family's  warmest  affection  for  you  and  all  the  family  and  friends  at  Musquo- 
doboit. 

P.S.  Please  tender  my  respects  to  Colonel  Kent  and  family  and  Mr. 
John  Dechman  and  family.    I  cannot  tell  what  your  brother  intends  doing. 

Letter  from  Harriet  Newell  Archibald  to  her  mother, 

written  at  Sackville,  February  7,  1866: 

I  received  your  interesting  and  amusing  letter;  also  one  from  Uncle 
George  on  the  same  evening.  I  am  glad  to  see  you  are  in  such  good  spirits, 
and  do  not  take  it  to  heart.  I  hope  I  shall  participate  in  the  benefits  of  the 
unexpected  occurrence,  at  least  get  a  taste  of — of  course  you  will  be  invited. 
So  you  have  joined  the  Division,  and  are  going  to  ride  down  to  the  Temper- 

482 


FAMILY  LINEAGE 


ance  Hall!  I  suppose  you  are  not  aware  that  I  joined  here,  but  I  did  not 
undergo  the  ordeal  of  initiation.  It  happened  that  I  was  sick  the  night 
that  there  were  to  be  some  others  and  myself  initiated,  so  I  concluded  that 
I  was  not  fit  to  go.  However,  I  felt  better  about  eight  o'clock  and  as  a 
young  lady  called  for  me  and  told  me  I  had  better  go,  we  went;  and  as  it 
was  late  and  they  had  considerable  to  do  installing  officers,  and  they  had 
not  finished  initiating  the  others,  they  took  me  in  without  ceremony  and 
gave  me  the  password.  It  is  well  for  me  that  I  changed  my  boarding  place, 
we  have  had  such  weather  and  I  have  not  been  well.  One  day  I  was  not 
able  to  go  to  school  at  all,  and  I  was  glad  it  was  stormy,  which  prevented 
all  but  two  or  three  coming,  and  I  sent  them  home.  But  I  am  quite  well 
again.  I  was  sorry  I  did  not  bring  a  little  of  the  family  medicine,  as  I  could 
not  get  any  here.  I  like  my  boarding  place  better  than  I  expected,  and 
you  need  not  say  it  cannot  be  that  you  will  not  again  hear  your  daughter 
sing.  She  may  be  able  to  sing  more  tunes  than  Boylston.  Please  excuse 
this  as  I  am  going  to  fill  the  remainder  to  Willie  and  I  cannot  write  to  Emily 
this  time  for  fear  of  making  the  letter  too  heavy,  but  I  will  expect  one  from 
her  ere  long.  Mrs.  Bambrick  has  told  me  that  she  wanted  me  to  feel  at 
home  and  ask  my  sister  down  next  summer. 

Letter  to  mother,  from  her  son,  William  C,  written  at 
Halifax,  March  i,  1866: 

I  feel  my  pen  should  make  my  first  mark  to  you.  What  shall  I  write  ? 
It  cannot  be  that  my  pen  refuses  to  write.  It  cannot  surely  be  that  I  would 
deny  you,  O  greatest  of  mothers!  If  it  would  give  you  pleasure  I  would 
like  to  go  home,  and  indeed,  it  would  be  a  great  pleasure  to  me,  but  time 
will  not  permit.  I  am  still  attending  the  commercial  college.  It  will 
require  six  or  eight  months'  evening  study  to  complete.  It  is  tedious  work. 
I  hope  you  are  better  and  free  from  bodily  pain.  Do  not  work  so  much; 
you  may  as  well  take  kindly  care  of  yourself  and  enjoy  the  remainder  of  a 
hard  life.  I  know  there  is  a  great  deal  to  be  done  in  training  and  educating 
the  children,  and  you  could  never  overlook  it.  The  Bible  part  is  not  un- 
important. I  regret  the  little  acquaintance  I  have  with  passages  of  Scrip- 
ture committed  to  memory.  I  am  going  to  buckle  to  study  as  never  before. 
I  am  trying  to  do  my  best  and  I  have  the  consciousness  of  gaining  a  little 
by  study.  Harriet  and  Emily  must  not  be  jealous  in  not  getting  a  letter  this 
time.  I  will  gather  some  thoughts  for  them,  and  store  them  in  a  sheet  of 
paper  some  day  not  far  distant.  Dear  mother,  please  write  me  a  full  letter 
next  mail.    We  are  unworthy  of  such  a  mother.    Your  loving  son. 

Here  are  a  few  letters  between  brothers  and  sisters, 
reflecting  the  characteristics  of  father  and  mother.  The 
following  is  the  only  one  from  Brother  George  that  can  be 
found,  and  was  written  when  he  was  quite  young,  from  Gor- 

483 


HOME-MAKING  AND  ITS  PHILOSOPHY 


ham,  Maine,  November  u,  1868,  and  before  he  began  teach- 
ing. Three  of  the  seven  brothers  and  sisters  later  graduated 
from  the  Normal  School,  Truro: 

I  have  not  heard  from  home  since  I  left,  but  I  do  not  blame  you  for  not 
writing,  for  I  expect  there  is  a  letter  in  Portland  for  me.  I  obtained  a  nice 
situation  here  at  very  good  pay,  and  was  at  work  four  or  five  days  when  I 
began  raising  blood  and  suffering  considerably  with  my  back.  The  doctor 
was  sent  for,  and  has  helped  me.  Do  not  feel  uneasy.  I  feel  contented 
and  expect  to  be  out  to-morrow.  Write  often  and  give  all  the  news,  and 
believe  me  to  be  your  true  and  loving  brother. 

A  letter  written  by  the  author  to  his  brother  George,  from 
Halifax,  March  1,  1867: 

I've  been  expecting  a  letter  from  you  and  hope  you  will  not  long  keep 
me  waiting.  I  think  it  is  time  we  should  be  cultivating  friendship,  inde- 
pendent of  our  natural  relation.  I  want  you  to  write  regularly.  I  will  give 
you  an  idea  how  I  get  along.  Our  lodge  of  Good  Templars  is  one  I  hold 
very  dear.  Nothing  would  tempt  me  to  leave  it.  We  have  the  nicest  times. 
I  am  Worthy  Chief  this  quarter.  I  feel  as  if  I  could  not  miss  a  night.  We 
are  small  in  numbers,  but  never  was  there  a  more  united  band,  and  we  are 
determined  to  work.  I  hope  if  I  live  to  see  Chebucto  Lodge  become  great. 
I  wish  you  could  be  at  some  of  our  meetings.  You  will  make  a  good  reciter. 
You  have  a  good  memory  and  it  will  improve.  I  will  send  you  the 
"  Speaker  "  and  there  is  a  great  variety  you  can  select  from.  I  am  writing 
a  composition  on  "Tasso,"  the  Italian  poet  who  was  imprisoned.  I  simply 
write  a  short  introductory  of  his  life,  up  to  the  time  of  his  imprisonment, 
and  recite  his  appeal  and  poem  for  freedom.  I  will  send  it  to  you  after. 
We  have  without  exception  the  best  music  of  any  of  the  societies  in  the  city. 
Burpee  Witter  and  the  Paysons  and  others  lead  in  inspiring  ways.  Some- 
times we  are  a  little  afraid  of  the  spirit  of  contention  setting  in,  but  we  must 
avoid  everything  of  that  kind.  We  have  some  good  debaters.  Mr.  T. 
B.  Flint,  a  young  barrister,  we  like  very  much.  He  and  James  McOuinn 
are  excellent  speakers.  We  are  to  have  a  fraternal  visit  from  Acadia  Lodge 
in  two  weeks.  I  really  wish  you  could  be  here.  I  will  have  to  prepare  an 
address  of  welcome,  and  do  not  know  how  I  can  do  it.  I  think  I  will  have 
a  talk  with  Brother  Flint.  I  want  you  to  give  me  a  minute  account  of  how 
you  are  getting  along  on  the  farm. 

As  ever  with  love  to  all.  I  am  also  writing  mother.  Make  things  easy 
for  her. 

The  following  letter  was  written  Sister  Annie  from  Winni- 
peg, April  2,  1883,  by  a  very  dear  cousin,  Janet  Archibald, 
eldest  daughter  of  Uncle  Samuel,  who  lived  on  the  half  of  the 

484 


FAMILY  LINEAGE 


Old  Farm.  She  is  now  deceased  and  was  known  at  her 
death  as  Mrs.  William  McFarlane,  Cayuga,  Ont.  She  was 
a  lady  of  very  superior  qualities,  attractive  and  lovely,  deep 
and  strong  in  heart  and  mind: 

Your  most  welcome  letter  came  to  hand  all  right.  I  had  heard  through 
Cousin  Sadie  that  you  had  been  at  South  Branch,  and  was  so  glad  to  hear 
that  you  were  having  a  change  of  scene.  You  never  mentioned  hearing 
from  me,  so  I  think  probably  my  last  letters  were  mislaid.  I  did  not  know 
until  you  wrote  me  that  you  had  diphtheria  yourself  in  your  brother's  home. 
You  surely  have  passed  through  deep  waters,  dear  cousin,  but  He  who 
doeth  all  things  well,  who  never  chastises  us  but  for  our  good,  has  given  you 
strength  to  bear  it  all — and  I  trust  you  will  come  out  as  refined  silver  made 
for  the  Master's  use. 

If  you  only  had  your  strength,  Annie,  what  a  noble,  self-sacrificing 
missionary  you  would  make.  But  missionary  work — plenty  of  it — can  be 
done  very  near  home,  and  how  much  work  there  is  for  earnest,  devoted 
Christians.  Sometimes  I  am  thoroughly  alive  to  the  work,  but,  dear 
cousin,  the  care  and  vexations  of  daily  life  so  cool  my  ardor  that  I  find  myself 
in  a  state  of  apathy  most  of  the  time. 

Yes,  I  read  Janie's  letter.  How  much  you  must  miss  those  dear  little 
children.  You  have  certainly  been  a  second  mother  to  them,  and  cannot 
reproach  yourself  with  neglect  or  anything  of  that  kind.  When  we  think 
what  a  world  of  sin  and  trouble  they  have  escaped  we  cannot  wish  them 
back.  Anna  was  surely  a  dear  little  child.  I  did  think  a  great  deal  of  her 
myself.    And  Mary  Innes  was  a  pretty  babe. 

What  a  nice  change  it  will  be  for  you  all  to  go  to  Prince  Edward  Island. 
I  do  hope,  Annie,  your  health  will  improve.  Try  and  take  care  of  yourself, 
and  do  not  sacrifice  your  life  all  for  the  good  of  others.  I  often  think  of 
poor  Willie  in  his  grief  and  loneliness.  Tell  him  I  would  like  to  hear  from 
him  when  he  feels  like  writing.  What  a  comforting  thought,  "Whom  the 
Lord  loveth  He  chasteneth." 

You  ask  about  my  health.  I  have  never  felt  so  well  since  I  was  a  child 
of  twelve  or  fourteen  as  I  have  this  winter.  I  have  gained  fourteen  pounds 
since  October,  and  like  the  country  very  much.  We  have  had  such  a 
beautiful  winter,  only  a  few  weeks  of  severe  cold,  and  beautiful  weather  all 
the  time.  There  has  not  been  a  drop  of  rain  since  October,  and  not  a  snow 
storm  for  months.  Clear  sunshine  day  after  day.  I  never  saw  so  much 
clear  weather  for  so  long  a  time. 

I  think  I  told  you  before  of  my  promotion.  I  have  Standard  three  Ls, 
five  hundred  and"  fifty  dollars,  with  a  good  prospect  of  Standard  four, 
six  hundred  and  twenty-five  dollars,  after  the  summer  vacation.  I  think 
Arthur  would  like  this  country,  but  his  getting  a  good  situation  at  teaching 
would  be  only  a  chance.  I  consider  myself  remarkably  fortunate  in  having 
a  promotion  already.    Several  of  the  teachers  have  been  here  two  years  and 

485 


HOME-MAKING  AND  ITS  PHILOSOPHY 


have  not  yet  had  even  one  promotion.  There  were  thirty-seven  applica- 
tions for  one  vacancy  two  months  ago,  so  you  can  guess  what  a  rush  there 
is  for  situations  here. 

I  have  made  many  friends  here  and  feel  very  much  at  home.  Cousin 
Amy  Archibald  lives  on  the  next  street  and  seems  to  be  happy.  I  see  her 
often.  James'  health  is  much  better  and  Mrs.  Grant  (Olive  Burris)  is  very 
well.  She  is  more  fleshy  than  she  ever  was.  They  are  building  a  new 
house  and  will  be  moving  soon. 

You  ask  about  her  brother,  John  B.  I  met  his  wife  at  Mrs.  Grant's  one 
evening.  They  went  to  their  prairie  home  next  day  and  have  not  been  in 
since.  I  do  not  know  that  he  and  Sam  have  lost  in  land.  They  own  sev- 
eral lots  together  in  the  city,  and  of  course  they  are  not  as  valuable  as  they 
were,  but  I  guess  they  intend  to  keep  them  until  they  are  of  value,  if  they 
ever  get  to  be. 

Crowds  of  immigrants  are  coming  here  already  and  also  many  will  be 
coming  this  year.    This  country  is  certainly  progressing  rapidly. 

Annie,  I  wish  you  were  out  here.  I  like  this  country  very  much  and 
do  not  think  I  will  ever  go  to  Nova  Scotia  to  live  again.  Remember  me 
to  all  the  family.  Give  my  love  to  Willie  especially,  and  may  the  God  of  all 
comfort  sustain  you  both  in  your  trouble,  is  the  earnest  prayer  of  your  loving 
cousin.    Tell  me  all  about  yourself. 

A  letter  from  the  author  to  his  little  children,  Nettie  and 

Harry,  written  from  Halifax,  August  29,  1883: 

I  sat  down  this  evening  to  write  to  you  and  Harry.  How  much  I  would 
like  to  see  you  both  to-night!  I  have  your  pictures  before  me;  also  those 
of  your  dear  little  sisters,  who  are  gone  to  heaven.  If  we  get  to  heaven,  do 
you  think  we  will  know  them,  and  dear  mamma  who  loved  you  so  much  ? 
Ask  Jesus  to  help  you  love  Him  more.  Obey  grandpa  and  grandma  in 
everything.  Do  you  know  the  fifth  commandment  ?  Ask  Harry  to  teach 
it  to  you.  Of  course  you  and  Harry  are  kind  to  each  other.  I  send  you 
some  cards  for  Sabbath  School.  You  can  give  some  of  them  to  some  little 
girls  every  Sabbath  until  the  end  of  the  year.  Give  my  love  to  grandpa 
and  grandma,  and  Uncle  John,  with  much  love  to  yourselves. 

Letter  from  the  author  to  his  son  Harry,  written  from 

Halifax,  March  7,  1884: 

I  was  indeed  glad  to  receive  your  letter  which  showed  to  me  you  were 
trying  to  improve.  This  is  right,  and  while  you  are  trying  to  get  knowledge 
so  that  you  will  be  a  credit  to  yourself  and  us,  you  must  not  forget  to  ask 
God  to  daily  make  your  heart  better,  by  giving  you  His  Holy  Spirit  to  dwell 
there,  that  you  may  not  sin  against  Him.  I  think  of  you  and  Nettie  very 
often,  also  of  mamma  and  Anna  and  Mary,  although  they  are  gone  from 
our  home.    Would  we  not  like  to  see  them  again!    With  much  love. 

486 


FAMILY  LINEAGE 


Letter  from  the  author  to  his  daughter  Nettie,  written 
from  Halifax,  March  7,  1884: 

I  have  been  wondering  why  Nettie  did  not  write  me  a  letter.  I  had  a 
very  nice  one  from  Harry,  which  I  am  carefully  keeping  and  reading  now 
and  again.  I  think  Harry  is  improving,  and  when  you  write  me  I  will  have 
something  to  say  to  you  about  it.  I  hope  you  and  Harry  and  all  the  rest 
are  well  again  of  the  rash.  It  is  God  who  makes  us  well,  and  let  us  always 
thank  Him.  It  is  very  late  and  I  am  very  cold.  Give  my  love  to  grandpa 
and  grandma  and  Uncle  John,  and  write  me  very  soon.    Good  night. 

Letter  to  the  author  from  his  sister  Sarah,  written  from 
Elm  Farm,  Westbrook  Mills,  Cumberland  County,  N.  S., 
January  2,  1885  : 

I  received  a  letter  from  you  just  before  Christmas.  I  thought  I  should 
get  it  answered  before  the  old  year  left  us,  but  found  it  impossible  to  do  so. 
It  is  not  often  I  get  a  letter  from  you,  so  I  ought  to  appreciate  it.  I  always 
feel  like  making  Christmas  as  merry  and  joyful  a  time  as  possible.  I  re- 
member when  a  child  I  looked  forward  to  that  day  as  the  brightest  of  the 
year.  We  always  got  some  presents,  and  then  we  had  a  good  supply  of 
doughnuts,  of  which  I  was  very  fond.  I  well  remember  the  first  party  we 
had  on  that  day,  but  just  how  long  after  father's  death  I  cannot  recall. 
The  Reynolds  were  there,  and  some  others,  and  I  was  asked  to  sing  "Con- 
trast" alone. 

It  makes  me  feel  sad  to  look  back  on  the  past,  without  father  and 
mother.  I  would  like  to  meet  in  a  family  reunion.  George  was  very 
interested,  but  invitations  at  the  eleventh  hour  could  hardly  be  successful 
at  such  short  notice.  If  all  could  meet  at  the  old  homestead  in  Musquo- 
doboit  in  the  summer  time  it  ought  to  do  us  good. 

Edgar  and  I  went  to  Salem  Wednesday  evening.  We  had  to  go  by 
carriage.  Elton  was  up  there.  I  suppose  you  and  Annie  went  to  Water- 
ville  and  spent  Christmas  with  Emily. 

You  speak  of  making  a  change  in  your  mode  of  life  ere  long.  You  wrote 
too  indefinitely  and  left  me  to  surmise  so  much,  that  I  gave  it  up  and 
thought  I  would  wait  for  further  developments.  The  secret  will  come  out 
I  hope  ere  long. 

Mr.  Miller  will  remain  with  us  six  months  longer,  and  then  go  to  col- 
lege. Burton  and  Wallace  are  going  to  school  and  getting  along  nicely. 
I  am  very  glad  you  enjoyed  yourself  so  well  the  time  of  the  wedding. 
Edgar  joins  me  in  wishing  you  a  very  happy  New  Year. 

A  letter  to  the  author  from  Mr.  J.  L.  Bishop,  principal 

Wolfville  School,  written  from  Wolfville,  November  8,  1886 : 

I  owe  you  an  apology  for  not  answering  your  letter  before,  but  really  I 
have  been  so  busy  at  the  close  of  the  term  and  with  the  teachers'  association 

487 


HOME-MAKING  AND  ITS  PHILOSOPHT 


that  I  could  not  catch  a  spare  moment  for  myself.  In  answer  to  your  ques- 
tions regarding  Harry,  permit  me  to  say  that  he  has  done  very  good  work 
during  the  past  term  and  I  think  he  deserves  the  reward  offered  by  you. 
He  is  the  most  original  boy  I  have  in  my  school.  He  is  also  a  great  friend 
of  all  the  scholars,  and  the  soul  of  honor,  honesty  and  obedience.  I  do 
candidly  think  he  is  doing  well.  He  is  the  best  thinker  I  have  and  takes 
delight  in  investigating  for  himself.  He  likes  every  subject  I  teach,  es- 
pecially my  oral  lessons  on  the  sciences.  I  should  be  at  a  loss  were  I  to 
lose  him.  I  promise  you  I  will  do  the  best  I  know  how  for  him.  Harry 
is  a  very  brave  boy  and  has  just  saved  at  great  risk  a  companion  from 
drowning  at  the  Tannery  Pond. 

A  letter  to  the  author  from  his  daughter  Nettie,  written 

from  Wolfville,  December  13,  1886: 

I  received  your  letter  and  was  very  glad  to  hear  from  you.  There  is 
going  to  be  a  concert  to-night.  I  am  going  to  take  a  sled  to  school  to- 
morrow if  it  is  fine,  and  coast  at  recess.  Chipman  burnt  his  fingers  yester- 
day morning— the  two  he  likes  so  much  to  put  in  his  mouth — and  mamma 
put  rags  on  them  before  he  went  to  sleep,  and  when  he  woke  up  they  were 
better  and  he  put  them  in  his  mouth  as  usual.  Miss  McLeod  is  not  going 
to  teach  longer  than  Christmas.  She  told  us  she  is  going  away.  I  would 
like  to  learn  to  skate  and  I  hope  Harry  will  get  the  skates.  He  and  mamma 
help  me  with  my  lessons.  I  am  at  the  head  of  my  class  in  history  to-day 
and  am  going  to  try  to  keep  there.  Mamma  is  going  to  give  me  five  cents 
if  I  can.  We  are  all  getting  ready  for  Christmas,  and  expect  it  will  be  here 
before  we  get  ready  for  it.  Yet  it  seems  to  come  very  slowly.  Mamma 
received  a  card  from  Aunt  Emily.  They  are  all  well.  She  invites  us  all  at 
Christmas  to  stay  a  week  and  you,  too,  papa.  She  says  Harry  and  I  can 
make  taffy  in  the  afternoon.  I  hope  Santa  Claus  will  come  and  there  will 
be  lots  of  snow  at  Christmas,  so  he  can  bring  a  big  nice  load. 

A  letter  to  the  author  from  his  son  Harry,  written  from 

Wolfville,  December  13,  1886: 

We  received  your  letter  to-day.  We  were  very  much  pleased  with  it, 
so  I  thought  I  would  write,  as  mother  is  going  to  write  you  to-morrow. 
The  coal  came  in  last  Saturday  and  I  hauled  five  loads  to-day  on  the  sled. 
I  took  Tom  down  to  Mr.  Franklin's,  and  got  his  shoes  sharpened,  as  the 
forward  calks  were  gone.  It  cost  fifty  cents.  The  cattle  are  doing  nicely. 
The  cows  are  giving  about  the  same  quantity  of  milk.  I  have  given  them 
all  the  mowed  oats  on  the  scaffold,  and  the  hay  above  the  stable  is  getting 
pretty  low.  I  was  out  sleighing  several  times  last  week,  as  there  is  excellent 
sleighing.  There  is  also  nice  skating.  I  saw  several  boys  on  the  ice  to- 
day. The  straw  has  not  come  yet.  There  was  a  praise  meeting  last  Sab- 
bath evening.  It  consisted  mostly  of  singing.  Several  took  part  besides 
Dr.  Higgins.    I  must  close  now. 

488 


A  NOBLE  MOTHER 
The  late  Mrs.  Arthur  Wallace  Archibald,  who  died  at  Clifton, 
Nova  Scotia,  in  1885,  leaving  a  very  sorrowing  husband  ■* 
and  three  fine  little  boys:  Wallace, 
Sylvester  and  Frederick 


FA  MILT  LINEAGE 


Two  letters  by  the  author's  children,  Harry  and  Nettie: 

Wolfville,  December  24,  1886. 
Santa  Claus,  Esq.:  I  should  be  very  much  obliged  to  you  if  you  would  be 
so  kind  as  to  leave  below  my  stocking  a  pair  of  brand  new  skates,  Acme 
spring  club,  also  a  jack  knife.  I  should  like  to  have  those  very  much,  as  I 
expect  to  go  on  a  visit  to  Aunt  Emily's  to-morrow.  Please  fill  Nettie's 
stocking  full.  Please  do  not  forget  baby  Chipman.  I  must  close  now, 
from  your  loving  friend,  Harry. 

Wolfville,  December  24,  1886. 
Dear  Santa  Claus:  I  would  be  very  glad  if  you  would  leave  five  things. 
They  are  money,  a  pair  of  slippers  for  myself,  No.  I,  a  nice  picture  book,  a 
knife  that  will  do  for  sharpening  pencils,  a  pair  of  boots  for  our  baby  Chip- 
man,  without  soles,  No.  1.  If  you  can't  put  them  in  my  stockings,  please 
put  them  on  the  tree.  Be  sure  to  fill  Harry's  and  baby  Chipman's  stock- 
ings full.    I  must  close  now.    From  Nettie. 

A  letter  to  the  family  from  their  brother  Arthur  Wal- 
lace Archibald,  written  from  Clifton,  Colchester  County, 
N.  S.,  November  24,  1886 : 

Thanksgiving  Day  has  come  again  and  gone.  Lily's  only  sister  spent 
the  day  with  us.  How  well  I  remember  the  day  a  year  ago.  It  was  a  few 
days  after  dear  Lily  had  taken  a  turn  for  the  better, — shortly  after  the 
doctor  said  she  could  not  rally,  and  when  she  almost  let  go  she  said  to  me, 
"I  think  we  can  keep  Thanksgiving  this  year,"  referring  to  God's  goodness 
in  sparing  her  a  little  longer  to  us.  I  think  I  did  feel  thankful.  O!  how 
kind  he  was  to  spare  her  to  us  so  long.  All  I  asked  then  or  could  expect 
was  to  have  her  regain  sufficient  strength  to  sit  in  her  chair  free  from  pain. 
I  remember  when  first  I  saw  her  sit  up  on  coming  home  from  my  school, 
she  looked  so  pleasant,  as  she  knew  I  would  be  so  glad  to  see  her  there. 
She  looked  so  happy,  so  cheerful.  You  were  not  acquainted,  nor  any  of 
our  folks  unless  it  was  George.  O,  how  I  miss  her!  I  feel  lonely,  lonely, 
lonely.  But  there  is  a  Friend  who  will  never  leave  us,  and  will  not  suffer 
us  to  be  afflicted  with  more  than  we  are  able  to  bear.  I  am  drawn  closer 
to  Him.  I  owe  very  much  to  my  dear  wife.  She  was  my  superior  in  many 
ways,  at  least  in  most  important  points. 

The  idea  that  book  education  is  everything  has  not  exploded  too  soon 
with  commonsense  people.  Her  company  was  everything  to  me,  and  our 
parting  makes  a  sad  separation  for  me.  When  Queen  Constance  learned 
that  her  son  and  heir  to  the  throne  was  to  be  murdered,  while  tearing  her 
hair  in  deepest  anguish,  the  would-be  regicides  said:  "You  hold  too 
heinous  a  respect  of  grief."  Her  reply,  "He  talks  to  me,  that  never  had  a 
son."  Those  who  have  not  passed  through  a  similar  trial,  and  many  that 
have,  have  but  a  faint  idea  of  the  heart  pain.  I  do  not  know  whether  I  told 
you  any  circumstances  in  reference  to  her  death.    The  night  previous  she 

489 


HOME-MAKING  AND  ITS  PHILOSOPHY 


slept  none,  which  was  unusual.  She  requested  her  mother  two  or  three 
times  to  see  what  time  it  was.  I  went  in  to  see  her  first  in  the  morning;  she 
looked  as  if  she  had  been  sleeping,  but  I  could  see  no  change  for  the  better. 
I  did  not  think  the  end  was  so  near.  I  stayed  a  few  minutes,  then  went  out 
to  breakfast  and  returning  to  her  she  seemed  a  little  easier.  I  wrote  a  few 
postals,  then  went  out  into  the  garden.  A  half  hour  later  her  mother  came 
to  say,  "Lily  wants  you  to  come  quickly."  O,  Willie,  it  nearly  kills  me  as 
J  write  this.  She  said:  "Arthur,  trust  in  Jesus."  Sometime  previous  she 
said  to  her  mother  that  she  should  like  singing  at  the  last.  So  her  sister 
tried  to  sing  "Wonderful  Words."  Then  she  said:  "I  know  in  whom  I 
have  believed."  She  became  very  cold  and  wanted  heated  clothing,  which 
we  applied,  and  she  then  told  us  we  need  do  nothing  more.  To  Wallace, 
Sylvester  and  little  Fred  she  said:  "Be  good  children,"  then  added  "All." 
>Her  last  words  were  "All  is  well." 

Letter  from  the  author  to  his  little  daughter  Nettie, 
written  from  Montreal,  January  23,  1887: 

I  am  very  glad  to  get  your  good  letter,  which  I  have  read  twice.  I  am 
<very  much  interested  in  you  and  how  you  are  getting  along.  I  would  not 
spare  any  effort  to  help  you  grow  up  good  and  useful.  I  trust  you  will  use 
every  effort  to  be  truly  good  in  heart,  active,  kind  and  useful  to  those  around 
you.  I  want  you  particularly  to  help  us  all  to  make  our  home  a  very  happy 
one  and  "scatter  seeds  of  kindness  for  our  reaping  by  and  by."  We  want 
our  home  first  of  all  to  be  a  real  Christian  home,  where  every  one  in  it  loves 
Jesus  and  is  every  day  living  to  please  Him.  Mamma  writes  you  are  doing 
a  little  better;  but  I  wish  to  say  that  you  must  keep  striving  to  make  prog- 
ress. Be  diligent.  I  trust  you  will  also  give  good  attention  to  your 
music  lessons,  so  that  when  we  all  meet  again  you  will  be  able  to  sing  and 
play  for  me.  Your  own  dear  mamma  was  very  fond  of  singing  and  playing 
that  beautiful  hymn  of  Charles  Wesley,  "Jesus,  Lover  of  My  Soul." 

The  trees  are  beautifully  covered  with  ice  and  the  streets  are  very 
slippery.  Montreal  is  a  large  city  of  two  hundred  thousand  people. 
There  is  about  five  feet  of  snow  here.  The  large  part  of  the  people  speak 
the  French  language.  The  citizens  are  building  an  ice  palace  almost  as 
large  as  Acadia  College.  The  large  blocks  of  ice  are  sawn  in  the  river,  and 
one  block  is  put  upon  another,  and  water  poured  on  to  freeze  them  to- 
gether. I  may  send  you  a  picture  of  it  some  day,  as  I  know  you  like 
pictures.  The  carnival  begins  on  February  seventh  and  lasts  to  the  twelfth, 
and  thousands  of  people  come  to  see  it,  and  to  have  toboggan  slides.  The 
boys  and  girls  have  great  fun  toboganning,  and  they  go  almost  a  mile  a 
minute.  Grown  people  take  these  rides,  for  it  makes  them  brighter  and 
smarter  for  work. 

I  hope  you  will  like  your  new  teacher.  Now,  my  dear  Nettie,  I  wish  you 
to  write  me  a  good  letter,  sensibly  written,  and  the  writing  neatly  done.  I 
preserve  all  letters  from  home  and  look  to  see  an  improvement  every  week. 
With  love  to  you  all. 

490 


FAMILY  LINEAGE 


Letter  from  the  author  to  his  son  Harry: 

I  have  your  welcome  letter  of  the  thirteenth  and  will  now  reply  and 
write  you  as  my  feelings  and  judgment  prompt.  How  much  you  are  in  my 
thoughts  I  can  hardly  tell  you.  You  know  that  passage,  "Like  as  a  father 
pitieth  his  children  so  the  Lord  pitieth  them  that  fear  him,"  and  I  under- 
stand now  how  a  father  loveth  and  careth  for  his  children;  and  how  less 
selfish  is  the  love  of  our  kind  Heavenly  Father.  I  heard  a  sermon  this 
evening  on  the  fifth  chapter  of  Luke,  most  beautifully  illustrated  on  oil 
canvas  as  large  as  one  side  of  our  sitting-room.  The  trees,  hills,  pastures, 
fields,  flowers,  brooks,  and  away  on  the  high  hills  was  the  city  of  Jerusalem 
and  the  hill  Calvary,  and  the  three  crosses,  and  over  on  the  other  side  of 
a  large  brook  was  a  shepherd  returning  with  the  lost  sheep  on  his  shoulder, 
and  the  ninety-nine  when  they  see  him  coming  go  to  meet  him.  Then  on 
the  canvas  is  seen  the  prodigal  son  leaving  his  father's  home  and  going  away 
with  the  money  his  father  gave  him;  and  if  you  read  the  chapter  you  will 
learn  how  quickly  he  spent  it.  His  father  yearns  for  him,  and  with  his 
hand  above  his  brows  is  looking  down  the  road  to  see  him  coming.  At  last 
he  sees  him  in  the  distance,  and  the  moving  canvas  runs  the  boy  towards 
his  father's  breast.  Then  he  is  on  his  knees  and  the  father  leads  him  to 
the  house.  The  next  scene  is  the  servant  bringing  the  fatted  calf,  and  there 
is  great  rejoicing  that  the  son  who  was  lost  is  now  found  repenting.  While 
these  pictures  were  passing,  a  young  lady  behind  the  canvas  sang  softly, 
"Where  is  my  Wandering  Boy  To-night,"  and  when  a  group  of  angels  were 
lowered  as  from  the  ceiling  she  sang  "There  are  Angels  Hovering  Round," 
and  the  speaker  made  deep  impression  by  telling  how  the  Saviour  and 
angels  rejoice  when  a  sinner  comes  to  Christ.  I  wish  all  of  you  could  have 
seen  it. 

Now,  Harry,  I  am  trusting  you  to  take  good  care  of  the  stock.  See  that 
all  get  plenty  to  eat.    Give  Chipman  a  kiss  for  me. 

Letter  to  the  author  from  his  daughter  Nettie,  written 
from  Rawlins,  Wyoming,  October  8,  1906: 

I  was  very  much  pleased  to  get  your  letter  which  arrived  a  week  ago. 
I  have  been  quite  busy  since  I  returned  from  my  trip  and  vacation  two 
weeks  ago.  We  are  having  nice  weather  here,  only  of  course  rather  cool 
at  night.  We  had  a  cold  wave  with  snow  three  weeks  ago.  Last  Sabbath 
week  we  celebrated  the  laying  of  the  corner  stone  of  the  Methodist  Epis- 
copal Church  twenty  years  before.  A  few  of  the  old  citizens  who  were 
present  at  that  time  gave  addresses,  and  the  history  of  the  church  was  read, 
which  gave  added  interest  to  the  audience. 

Is  Earl  in  Boston  ?  I  heard  he  was  going  into  a  wool  brokerage  office 
there.  I  am  going  to  Queen  Esther  circle  to-night,  a  missionary  society 
under  the  auspices  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church.  We  have  about 
ten  members  now;  we  had  fifteen  or  more,  but  a  good  many  have  left  town. 
Grandma  is  much  improved  and  is  now  getting  along  nicely.    The  wound 

49 1 


HOME-MAKING  AND  ITS  PHILOSOPHY 


has  healed.  Aunt  Eveline  and  Uncle  John  took  a  ten-days'  outing  in  the 
country.  They  are  all  feeling  better.  I  hope  you  are  well.  Don't  work 
too  hard.  It  is  time  you  were  having  it  easier.  Try  and  take  care  of  your 
self.    With  love  to  all  I  am  your  affectionate  daughter. 

Letter  to  the  author  from  his  sister  Annie,  written  from 
Tacoma,  Washington,  November  16,  1908: 

I  was  very  glad  to  get  your  letter  and  would  have  answered  sooner,  but 
am  now  only  recovering  my  strength.  I  will  be  fifty  next  July.  Yes,  we 
are  growing  old,  and  I  am  the  youngest.  It  is  not  often  that  of  a  family  of 
seven  all  are  alive  at  my  age.  I  dread  the  first  break.  I  do  hope  Sarah 
will  get  better — poor  soul,  she  has  had  a  hard  time  of  it. 

The  newspaper  clipping  of  Sheriff  Archibald  and  his  picture  you  sent 
resembles  you — did  you  not  notice  it  ?  His  home  was  only  six  miles  from 
ours.  I  cannot  jot  down  many  remembrances  of  father.  It  is  very  hard 
for  me  to  do.  I  had  a  big  cry  over  it.  I  get  very  hungry  to  see  some  of  my 
own  sometimes,  though  I  have  many  true  friends  here.  I  never  had  so 
many  and  such  good  friends  anywhere,  and  I  appreciate  them.  They 
mean  something  to  me  when  they  are  genuine. 

Father  died  on  Christmas  morning.  I  was  only  three  years  old,  but 
remember  climbing  up  so  I  could  open  a  little  door  in  the  wall  that  led  into 
the  bedroom  where  he  lay  on  his  bed,  to  look  at  him.  Then  the  night 
when  Willie  carried  me  down  to  see  him  when  he  died,  and  after  that  his 
being  laid  out  in  the  parlor  and  how  awesome  it  seemed,  but  I  was  too 
young  to  understand  my  loss.  I  know  that  the  principles  of  integrity,  of 
proper  pride  in  honest  toil,  of  sturdy  honesty,  seemed  to  me  to  belong  to 
him  and  be  a  part  of  him — and  I  thank  God  for  the  principles  I  uncon- 
sciously imbibed  and  the  strong  love  I  have  for  the  home  folk.  Different 
surroundings,  but  distance  cannot  change  it. 

The  first  thing  about  mother  I  remember  was  kneeling  at  her  knee  and 
mother  combing  my  hair.  I  remember  how  glossy  and  smooth  her  hair 
was — and  then  I  remember  waking  up  in  the  night  and  crying,  and  she 
took  me  in  bed  with  her,  and  how  happy  and  contented  I  was.  O!  how 
I  loved  her  and  how  I  missed  her  and  do  miss  her  yet!  God  alone  knows! 
I  was  ten  in  July  and  she  died  in  October.  I  do  not  know  how  young  I  was 
when  I  learned  to  knit,  but  I  recall  how  pleased  I  was  when  mother  would 
run  a  race  with  me.  I  do  not  know  who  won,  but  I  was  pleased  whichever 
way  it  went.  I  also  remember  her  teaching  me  to  sew.  It  was  a  brown 
cotton  dress  with  white  stripes,  like  rickrack  braid,  running  lengthwise, 
and  it  was  pretty  stuff  for  little  fingers,  and  a  friend  who  was  visiting  (Mrs. 
West  of  Halifax)  helped  me,  and  mother  and  she  looked  at  one  another  and 
smiled.  I  always  tried  to  get  the  first  ripe  strawberries  and  earliest  violets 
to  bring  to  mother,  and  she  was  always  so  pleased.  How  well  I  remember 
the  day  she  died,  when  we  were  all  standing  around  her  bed.  She  passed 
away  so  peacefully,  though  a  tear  rolled  from  her  eye.    I  wonder  if  she  was 

492 


FAMILY  LINEAGE 


conscious  and  thinking  of  her  children.  I  did  not  know  she  was  to  die  so 
soon.  I  wish  I  had  and  had  talked  with  her,  but  I  suppose  thev  thought  me 
too  young,  though  I  was  old  enough  to  know  she  was  the  dearest  and  best 
mother  there  ever  was.  I  can  remember  getting  upon  her  knee  when  some 
one  said  I  was  too  big,  but  she  kept  me  there. 

She  never  allowed  a  word  of  gossip  in  the  house.  When  Sarah  and  I 
heard  something  at  school  and  brought  it  home  and  told  it,  even  though  it 
was  true,  we  were  reprimanded  and  told  not  to  say  anything  against  any 
one.    It  is  something  that  has  told  on  my  life,  for  I  hate  gossip  like  poison. 

The  influence  of  the  morning  and  evening  family  prayers,  when  she  had 
to  lead  them  herself,  is  a  factor  not  to  be  forgotten.  I  can  see  her  now  with 
father's  big  Xew  Testament,  that  had  Edwards'  notes  and  instructions 
on  every  chapter  in  it;  and  these  readings  and  prayers  could  not  fail  of  their 
benedictions. 

George's  mother  died  a  few  weeks  ago — another  stroke  of  paralysis. 
He  had  to  go  down  to  Ashland,  Oregon.  She  was  a  lovely  Christian 
woman,  and  George  loved  her  dearly.  We  have  had  to  keep  a  nurse  for 
five  years,  and  this  trip  cost  us  a  hundred  dollars.  Much  love  to  you. 
Write  often. 

Sister  Anna,  with  her  husband,  Deacon  Hill,  spent  several 
years  as  missionaries  in  Alaska,  but  with  impaired  health  re- 
turned to  Washington,  where  their  eldest  daughter,  Florence 
Carey,  and  Mr.  John  Emery  Lindberg,  b  arris  ter-at-law, 
were  united  in  marriage  on  Wednesday,  June  2,  1909. 

Letter  to  the  author  from  his  son  Earl,  written  from  Dor- 
chester, Mass.,  March  13,  1908: 

I  got  your  postal  and  was  glad  to  hear  from  you.  There  is  little  new 
around  Boston.  Business  has  been  exceptionally  dull  this  winter.  I  am 
rooming  with  the  Keddys.  They  are  very  kind  to  me,  and  I  like  the 
location  very  much.  There  has  been  little  or  no  snow  this  winter,  and 
little  cold  weather.  I  have  no  intention  of  going  back  to  college,  but  shall 
stick  to  work.  Thank  you  very  much.  I  think  Willie  will  go  through  and 
make  a  name  for  himself.  I  am  working  in  a  wool  broker's  office.  They 
handle  an  immense  business.  I  would  rather  be  in  Canada.  I  always 
stand  up  for  Canada,  but  they  say  if  it  is  such  a  fine  place  why  did  I  leave  it : 
I  will  send  you  my  picture.  Please  send  me  Harry's  address.  Your  loving 
son. 

Letter  to  the  author  from  his  daughter  Nettie,  written 

from  Rawlins,  Wyoming,  September  15,  1908: 

Your  welcome  letter  reached  me  this  morning.  I  wrote  you  before 
going  to  Wolcot  for  my  vacation.    We  are  having  just  lovely  weather — 

493 


HOME-MAKING  AND  ITS  PHILOSOPHY 


not  so  hot  as  it  has  been.  It  is  so  much  more  comfortable  to  work  when  it 
is  cool.  I  enjoyed  my  summer  trip  and  am  much  the  better  for  it.  I 
would  like  to  have  been  at  Chip's  wedding.  I  got  the  photographs — they 
are  good.  I  am  sorry  Aunt  Sarah  is  so  ill.  I  will  write  her  very  soon. 
Earl  sent  me  his  photograph  the  other  day.  I  was  glad  to  get  it;  he  takes 
a  fine  picture,  doesn't  he  ?  Had  letters  from  Aunt  Emily  and  brother 
Harry  and  Josephine.  I  was  a  teacher  in  the  Sabbath  school  till  vacation. 
Grandma  is  recovering  slowly  from  the  stroke  of  paralysis,  but  we  are  very 
anxious  about  her.    All  the  rest  are  well.    Excuse  short  letter. 

Letter  to  the  author  from  his  son  William,  written  from 

Wolfville,  June  I,  1908: 

I  received  the  gray  mare  you  sent  me  and  want  to  thank  you  very,  very 
much  for  her.  She  is  a  fine  little  horse,  very  stylish  and  a  fair  roader.  I 
hope  you  are  well.  The  weather  has  been  very  warm  lately.  We  have 
exams,  next  week.  School  has  been  quite  difficult  this  year,  but  I 
will  try  and  get  through  if  possible.  Chipman  is  having  a  busy  time  mov- 
ing to  his  place  at  Greenwich.  I  saw  the  picture  of  you  on  horseback. 
The  horse  is  a  fine-looking  animal.  I  hope  you  are  doing  well,  and  will 
write  often.  I  am  not  a  very  good  hand  to  write.  All  are  well.  Hoping 
to  write  again  soon,  I  am  your  affectionate  son. 

Letter  to  the  author  from  his  sister  Sarah,  written  from 
Elm  Farm,  Westbrook,  November  16,  1908: 

Your  letter  has  been  a  long  time  unanswered  for  the  simple  reason  I 
was  not  able  to  write.  I  am  only  now  able  to  sit  up  and  eat  my  regular 
meals.  Am  still  far  from  well,  but  am  under  Dr.  S.'s  treatment  in  Halifax. 
It  hurts  me  to  write.  I  am  very  glad  to  hear  from  you,  but  am  not  able  to 
write  of  our  parents'  lives  and  their  reflex  influence  on  family.  You  will,  I 
know,  excuse  these  few  lines.    I  may  be  able  to  write  more  in  the  future. 

I  spent  a  good  part  of  the  summer  in  the  Halifax  infirmary.  We  were 
very  pleased  to  have  a  short  visit  from  Chipman  on  his  way  to  Amherst. 
He  is  looking  well.  Was  sorry  to  hear  of  illness  there,  but  glad  to  know 
all  were  well  again. 

Edgar  and  Burton  are  very  busy  farming;  they  have  done  quite  a  lot  of 
lumbering  the  past  year  and  expect  to  the  coming  year.  Wallace  is  work- 
ing with  them.  Elton  is  teaching  in  a  collegiate  institute  in  Essex,  On- 
tario, and  likes  the  work  very  much.  He  has  not  been  home  for  two  years. 
I  am  not  able  to  walk  or  drive,  so  cannot  get  out  doors  to  enjoy  the  beauti- 
ful autumn  weather.  Hattie  is  visiting  friends  in  Truro  and  will  remain 
some  weeks  visiting.  She  has  good  health.  I  do  so  wish  I  could  get  well. 
Hope  buoys  me  up.  I  have  much  to  be  thankful  for,  so  must  not  complain. 
God  is  better  to  me  than  I  deserve.  I  feel  this  note  is  hardly  worth  sending, 
but  you  may  like  to  hear  direct.    With  love,  interest,  and  best  wishes. 

494 


FAMILY  LINEAGE 


Letter  to  the  author  from  his  sister  Annie,  written  from 
Tacoma,  Washington,  January  2,  1909: 

The  Christmas  package  received  the  last  day  of  the  old  year,  the  marked 
Testament  before  Christmas.  Very  many  thanks  for  all  of  them.  I  ap- 
preciate them  very  much.    Oh,  how  I  wish  you  could  have  been  with  us! 

A  boy  from  Alaska  who  was  in  my  mission  school  came  to  see  me,  and 
now  has  a  good  position  here.  We  had  a  treat  as  usual  and  enjoyed  it  as 
we  used  to  do  at  Christmas  in  the  "Old  Red  Home."  Mamie  and  Gay 
and  Florence  are  getting  along  nicely  and  enjoy  life.  Mr.  H.  and  I  hold  the 
missionary  spirit,  and  it  grows. 

You  speak  of  the  reading  aloud  in  the  old  home.  There  is  nothing  I 
look  back  to  with  more  pleasure,  or  was  to  me  of  more  profit  than  that  very 
thing.  It  is  helpful  as  a  bond  of  union.  We  are  to  have  a  meeting  at 
Bellingham  of  the  Baptist  convention  board,  and  Mr.  Hill  is  a  member  of 
the  board,  and  I  expect  to  go  with  him.  A  friend,  Mrs.  W.,  is  coming  to 
stay  with  the  girls.  She  is  the  mother  of  Herman  Spinney's  wife  of  Yar- 
mouth, N.  S. 

I  cannot  make  a  drawing  of  the  old  home,  but  Hattie  can.  The  weather 
is  very  mild;  snowdrops  and  hyacinths  are  coming  in  bloom,  with  narcissus 
coming,  too.  In  the  greenhouse  we  have  beautiful  carnations.  Fred 
Archibald  from  Alberta,  my  nephew,  has  been  in  several  times.  He  is 
getting  a  hundred  dollars  a  month  in  Vancouver.  He  is  a  nice  boy.  Fred 
Logan  (Isaac's  son)  is  at  Victoria.  I  have  calls  from  many  coming  from 
Nova  Scotia.  I  received  the  photograph.  It  takes  me  back  to  the  old 
times  to  see  you  on  horseback.  I  do  hope  Sarah  will  recover.  She  has 
suffered  so  much. 

I  am  glad  you  wrote  what  you  did  to  mother.  I  had  a  good  cry  over 
the  letter.  I  wish  I  knew  more  about  both  father  and  mother,  but  you 
know  I  am  the  baby.  Father  died  when  I  was  not  quite  three  years  old 
and  mother  when  I  was  ten.  Mother  instilled  honesty  and  helpfulness  in 
others.  No  gossip  was  ever  allowed  in  the  home.  She  was  ambitious 
for  us  all,  and  tried  to  keep  us  together. 

Florence  is  to  be  married — he  is  an  expert  bookkeeper  in  the  Northern 
Pacific  office  in  Spokane.  He  has  twenty  acres  of  orchard  land  in  Idaho. 
His  father  is  a  Baptist  minister.  She  is  only  eighteen.  We  are  going  to 
have  oyster  soup.    Come  in  and  dine  with  us  ?    Love  to  all. 

Two  letters  to  the  author  from  his  sister  Emily,  written 

from  Brooklyn,  Kings  County,  N.  S.,  March  3,  1909. 

I  was  very  glad  to  hear  from  you  again  after  a  long  silence.  We  re- 
ceived the  Christmas  presents  and  they  did  us  good.  I  think  I  acknowl- 
edged these  before.  We  all  thank  you  very  much.  We  have  received  at 
various  times  papers  and  magazines  and  the  book  of  views.  Sarah  is  not 
gaining  much  in  health  or  strength.  I  fear  she  cannot  last  very  long  unless 
she  takes  more  nourishment. 

495 


HOME-MAKING  AND  ITS  PHILOSOPHY 


It  is  now  forty-three  years  since  mother's  death,  and  I  dread  the  break 
among  us  seven.  I  am  glad  you  enjoyed  the  Chapman  meetings  in  Boston. 
It  is  a  remarkable  Pentecostal  movement,  as  Mr.  Lamb  puts  it.  The 
laymen's  missionary  movement  is  outlining  a  great  work  and  it  is  only  in 
its  infancy.  We  have  had  a  gracious  revival  since  Mr.  Whitman  came. 
Eight  were  baptized,  with  Archie  among  the  number.  Meetings  are  held 
three  evenings  in  the  week.  It  is  a  continuous  warfare.  "To  him  that 
overcometh"  is  the  promise  given. 

R.  R.  McLeod  has  passed  away,  and  much  is  being  said  of  his  qualities. 
I  had  a  letter  from  the  "Hills  of  Washington"  last  week.  Chipman 
Archibald  and  wife  have  left  India  for  the  home  land.  They  will  visit 
Palestine  and  Switzerland  en  route.  I  owe  Brother  George  a  letter;  also 
had  one  from  Arthur.  Sylvester  is  home,  but  goes  back  in  April  as  mana- 
ger of  government  creamery.  Archie  talks  of  going  to  Summerland,  B.  C. 
George  contributed  a  good  editorial  to  their  local  paper.  Trusting  you  are 
rested  and  better  of  the  trip.    I  am  as  ever,  your  affectionate  sister. 

June  7,  1909:  Yours  received,  also  the  Strand.  Thanks  for  remember- 
ing, and  also  for  the  maple  cream  sent  some  time  ago.  The  boys  attended 
the  closing  exercises  of  Acadia,  enjoyed  the  day,  and  took  dinner  and  tea  at 
Chipman's.  All  well.  Earl  is  expected  next  week.  The  orchards  are 
in  full  bloom  and  give  promise  of  large  crops.  Sarah  is  little  better. 
Always  glad  to  hear  from  you. 

Four  letters  to  the  author  from  his  sister  Sarah,  written 
from  Elm  Farm,  Cumberland  Co.,  N.  S.,  January  26,  1909: 

I  am  not  able  to  write  a  letter.  I  am  in  bed.  Was  very  glad  to  get 
your  nice  letters  and  sorry  you  were  not  well.  I  hope  x-ray  treatment  may 
prove  beneficial.  It  is  well  there  are  hospitals  for  the  suffering.  I  am 
unable  to  write  of  mother's  life.  Well  remember  the  day  she  died.  You 
went  for  Mrs.  Horton,  but  she  passed  away  by  the  time  you  and  she  re- 
turned. I  memorized  the  hymns  sung  at  the  funeral.  She  was  the  best  of 
mothers,  so  self-sacrificing.  I  find  myself  too  weak  to  write  more.  I  do 
hope  I  will  get  better,  but  I  am  in  the  Lord's  hands  and  He  does  what  is 
best  for  His  family.  Glad  to  hear  from  you  often.  Will  write  when  I  get 
better.    I  fain  would  write  more.    Your  affectionate  sister. 

February  26,  1909:  I  am  just  a  little  better  this  morning.    Have  a  new 

doctor,  who  thinks  he  can  help  me,  and  I  do  hope  he  can.    Sister  H.  has  a 

letter  written  to  send  you,  and  I  thought  I  must  try  to  write  you  a  few  lines. 

I  feel  too  weak  to  write;  it  hurts  very  much.    Many  thanks  for  papers. 

Glad  you  enjoyed  meetings  in  Boston.    I  do  hope  you  will  soon  be  quite 

recovered.    Please  excuse  penciling. 

Westbrook,  May  7,  1909:  I  received  yours  some  time  ago,  but  took  a 

severe  attack  of  la  grippe  nearly  three  weeks  since.    I  was  so  weak  by 

previous  sickness  and  suffering  that  it  will  take  me  some  time  to  rally. 

The  doctor  will  not  allow  me  to  attempt  to  sit  up  for  at  least  two  weeks 

496 


FAMILY  LINEAGE 


more.  Will  be  pleased  to  see  you  at  any  time  you  can  come.  You  could 
not  expect  me  to  remember  much  of  Aunt  Sarah,  when  she  died  some  weeks 
before  I  was  born.  Have  heard  through  Hattie  as  being  possessed  of  the 
missionary  spirit  in  large  degree,  with  remarkably  sweet  disposition,  fine 
perceptions,  and  gifted  in  poetry  and  music 

Westbrook  Mills,  March  6,  1910:  Hattie  will  write  as  I  dictate  a  few 
lines  to  you.  I  am  lying  on  the  bed,  suffering  with  my  eyes.  If  they  do 
not  improve  in  a  few  days  I  purpose  going  from  home  to  consult  a  specialist. 
My  stomach  is  better.  Was  glad  to  get  your  letter  of  sympathy  and  love; 
also  photograph  of  Allison.  Hope  your  book  will  prove  a  success,  as  you 
have  spent  much  time  and  thought  on  it.  The  ideas  are  good,  well  thought 
and  wrought  out. 

I  find  it  very  difficult  to  think  and  dictate,  as  my  head  is  so  distracted 
with  pain  in  eyes.  Edgar,  Burton  and  Wallace  have  been  extremely  busy 
filling  a  lumber  contract,  which  will  not  be  completed  for  some  time  yet. 
The  winter  has  been  the  mildest  of  any  since  my  earliest  remembrance. 
We  hear  from  Elton  almost  every  week.  I  enclose  his  last  letter,  which 
you  can  return.  Accept  my  deep  sympathy  for  you  in  your  loneliness.  I 
may  be  able  to  write  you  more  sometime  in  the  near  future.  Our  great 
Sympathizer  is  our  best  friend. 

[Sarah  ought  scarcely  to  have  dictated  the  foregoing;  it  has  left  her  com- 
pletely wearied.    I  will  send  more  later. — Sister  Hattie.  ] 

Letter  to  the  author  from  his  daughter  Nettie,  written 

from  Rawlins,  Wyoming,  March  2,  19 10: 

Your  welcome  letter  received  a  few  days  ago.  I  was  indeed  glad  to  get 
it.  I  wrote  to  cousin  I.  C.  Archibald  at  St.  John  yesterday.  We  are 
looking  for  Mrs.  Stewart  back  from  Boulder  the  last  of  this  week — maybe 
to-night.  I  am  feeling  much  better  and  am  able  to  take  up  my  sewing 
again  for  ourselves.  Uncle's  address  is  M.  L.  Buchanan,  128  West  Seventh 
Street,  Leadville,  Colorado.  Uncle  Rogers  is  in  the  country  at  present. 
We  are  having  beautiful  weather;  it  is  really  quite  warm,  but  of  course  this 
is  a  changeable  climate.  Grandma  is  quite  well  and  keeps  around  and 
does  more  than  she  thinks — in  fact  more  than  we  wish  her  to  do.  But  she 
is  never  satisfied  unless  she  is  doing  for  others. 

Many  thanks  for  those  pictures  you  sent  me.  I  appreciate  them  so 
much.  I  will  frame  them  for  my  room.  They  are,  I  think,  very  good  of 
my  dear  mother  and  sisters,  whom  I  miss  so  much.  There  is  no  one  can  be 
like  one's  own  in  sympathy  and  love.  You  must  be  very  busy  with  your 
book.  I  will  be  glad  to  have  a  copy  when  ready.  Who  are  Dr.  Andrew 
W.  Archibald  and  Henry  O.  Archibald  ?  The  view  of  the  Musquodoboit 
River  makes  a  pretty  picture.  Willie  Buchanan  is  home  and  will  spend  a 
day  or  two  with  us.  He  expects  to  come  again  in  May.  I  had  a  good  letter 
from  Aunt  Emily.  I  like  to  hear  from  her  and  we  write  quite  often,  also 
letters  from  Harry  and  Aunt  Annie.    I  do  not  get  many  letters  from  Wolf- 

497 


HOME-MAKING  AND  ITS  PHILOSOPHY 


ville,  but  I  like  to  hear  sometimes.  I  get  quite  homesick  to  see  you  all. 
We  will  be  glad  to  see  you  any  time  you  can  come  here.  Good-bye. 

Letter  to  the  author  from  his  son  Harry,  written  from 
Vancouver,  B.  C,  February  20,  1910: 

Am  just  in  receipt  of  your  card  and  will  do  the  best  I  can  to  give  you  the 
information  you  ask  for.  There  is  quite  some  difficulty  in  getting  what 
you  ask,  as  there  are  no  directories  made  up  here;  I  am  told  a  Winnipeg 
firm  makes  all  the  directories  west  of  Ontario.  Another  thing  is,  the 
population  in  these  Western  provinces  is  so  sparse  that  many  places  are  not 
listed  in  the  directories,  as  well  as  the  fact  that  none  of  the  directories  are 
complete,  either  as  to  names  or  places. 

By  the  way  you  never  acknowledged  the  monologue  I  wrote  you  on  the 
outlook  of  fruit  growing  in  this  province.  I  also  sent  some  printed  matter 
on  this  subject — which  I  thought  would  be  of  interest  to  you.  To-day  we 
are  having  a  slight  snowfall  for  a  change;  but  the  snow  will  not  stick,  the 
weather  is  too  warm;  we  just  get  enough  of  it  to  let  us  know  what  we  are 
really  missing  by  not  being  back  by  the  broad,  heaving  bosom  of  the  misty 
Atlantic.  "The  Land  of  Evangeline"  is  a  good  country  but  this  is  a  long 
way  ahead  of  it.  Do  you  know  whether  there  is  any  truth  or  not  in  the 
statement  that  McKenzie  &  Mann  are  taking  over  the  D.  A.  R.  ?  The 
people  there  do  not  know  when  they  have  a  good  railway  service.  They 
will  have  to  learn  by  bitter  experience;  but  when  the  change  is  made,  all 
they  will  have  for  their  trouble  will  be  the  experience.  Things  are  not 
at  the  present  moment  going  at  all  to  my  liking  and  I  am  in  a  pretty  bad 
way;  the  future  holds  all  my  hopes,  and  if  they  do  not  pan  out — I  am  all  to 
the  bad. 

This  typewriter  business  is  a  new  one  on  me,  and  have  not  yet  quite  got 
the  hang  of  it,  but  it  is  a  long  way  ahead  of  writing  with  the  pen,  and  is  also 
a  good  deal  quicker.  Lately  have  not  had  time  I  could  call  my  own;  and 
will  not  likely  have  any  for  quite  a  while. 

There  is  almost  a  new  language  here,  there  is  so  much  slang.  If  a  per- 
son is  not  satisfied  with  the  local  conditions  they  "beat  it."  One  hears  all 
kinds  of  odd  or  local  expressions,  viz.:  "What  do  you  know  about  that  ?" 
"Beat  it,"  etc.  There  is  a  little  profanity  in  the  Eastern  provinces,  but 
out  here  there  is  twice  as  much  "and  then  some."  No  one  seems  to  mind 
it,  one  hears  it  without  taking  notice  of  it.  We  have  just  had  the  Chinese 
New  Year,  and  a  big  celebration  it  was.  They  make  a  lot  of  it.  There 
was  a  cartoon  in  one  of  the  papers  here  of  a  "Chink"  sitting  in  a  chair, 
holding  a  jug  of  gin  to  his  lips  and  remarking,  "Ten  days  of  this."  But 
the  "Chink"  is  not  much  of  a  gin  drinker.  His  tipple  is  "sam  suey,"  a 
kind  of  whiskey  or  spirit  distilled  from  rice;  and  it  does  duty  very  well.  It 
is  said  that  many  of  the  whites  are  very  fond  of  it.  Every  little  while  the 
police  have  a  raid  down  in  Chinatown  and  pull  a  place  or  two  for  running  a 
gambling  joint  or  an  opium  den,    The  "Chinks"  are  confirmed  gamblers, 

498 


FAMILY  LINEAGE 


and  their  quarters  are  as  full  of  tunnels  and  underground  passages  as  a 
woodchuck's  den. 

This  Vancouver  is  full  of  Socialists.  A  peculiar  thing  is  this  that  the 
Socialists  are  nearly  all  foreigners — Englanders,  Germans,  Americans,  etc. 
They  have  meetings  nearly  every  evening  and  on  Sundays.  Their  big 
meeting  is  on  Sunday  evening.  Was  there  once,  but  do  not  think  I  will 
join  for  awhile  at  least.  Their  ways  are  not  my  ways,  and  at  present  we 
have  nothing  in  common.  But  nearly  every  evening  at  the  street  corners 
one  can  see  a  crowd  of  them  holding  forth.  Many  of  them  remind  me  of 
the  great  unwashed. 

One  of  the  drawbacks  to  this  place  is  the  Englander,  or  as  he  is  more 
familiarly  known,  the  Remittance  Man.  Some  of  the  Eastern  papers  call 
Vancouver  "The  Remittance  Man's  Clearing."  He  knows  it  all,  and  we 
sometimes  have  quite  a  lot  of  trouble  to  beat  it  into  his  head  that  he  is  not 
"it."  After  awhile  they  take  a  tumble  that  they  are  not  the  "whole 
cheese,"  and  after  that  they  are  not  too  bad.  The  C.  P.  R.  is  very  strong 
here,  and  one  finds  them  engaged  in  various  lines  of  business  under  other 
names.  Every  one,  or  nearly  so,  thinks  this  is  the  only  place,  and  that  helps 
a  lot  to  push  a  town  ahead. 

How  large  a  book  do  you  expect  that  your  work  will  make  r  It  is  a  big 
undertaking  to  write  and  compile  a  book  like  that.  And  when  do  you 
expect  to  have  it  issued  ? 

I  sometimes  get  a  slight  attack  of  nostalgia,  but  usually  manage  to  throw 
it  off.  If  the  wife  and  little  boy  were  only  with  me  here  I  would  not  care  a 
rap;  but  in  the  meantime  what  cannot  be  helped  must  be  endured. 

Will  try  and  get  other  directories  for  that  information,  but  am  not  very 
sanguine  about  it  at  the  present  moment.  There  are  several  places  I  have 
not  tried  as  yet,  but  will  do  so  at  the  earliest  moment. 

Trusting  you  are  enjoying  your  usual  good  health  and  that  you  will 
write  again  soon,  I  remain  your  loving  son. 

Letter  to  the  author  from  his  son  Harry,  written  from 
Vancouver,  B.  C,  March  20,  19 10: 

I  have  your  letter  under  date  of  the  tenth.  Received  the  advance  cir- 
cular of  vour  book  about  the  middle  of  the  week.  Sir  Hibbert  Tupper  is 
in  Vancouver  City.  His  address  is  on  Barclay  Street.  I  did  not  know  that 
the  old  war-horse  was  out  here.  Penticton  is  on  the  Okanagan  Lake 
about  three  days'  journey  from  here;  although  they  tell  me  that  when  the 
new  line  is  built  it  will  only  be  about  eighteen  hours  from  Vancouver.  I 
met  a  brother  of  Etta  Yuill  in  town  here  the  other  day.  He  told  me  he 
came  from  Truro  and  has  been  in  the  West  many  years;  also  told  me  that 
his  sister  was  in  Penticton.  Had  a  letter  from  Nettie  a  few  days  ago.  She 
appeared  in  better  spirits  than  usual. 

Spring  is  here;  the  bulbs  in  the  gardens  are  in  bloom,  the  grass  is  green, 
the  air  is  warm,  and  the  sunshine,  after  the  winter  rains,  makes  one  feel  a 

499 


HOME-MAKING  AND  ITS  PHILOSOPHY 


little  more  like  living.  It  is  certainly  Very  mild  winters  we  get  here;  quite  a 
lot  of  rain,  seldom  cold  enough  to  freeze,  although  there  is  quite  a  lot  of 
frost.  It  is  a  splendid  climate  along  the  water,  although  back  among  the 
mountains  it  is  surely  rough  enough  to  satisfy  a  man  from  the  Hyperborean 
regions.  Met  Fred  Logan  the  other  day.  He  is  doing  well  and  making 
money.  There  are  many  Nova  Scotians  here,  most  of  them  are  doing  well, 
too.  You  are  right;  it  never  pays  to  worry.  Bret  Harte  was  right  when 
he  wrote: 

If  of  all  words  of  tongue  or  pen, 
The  saddest  are  44  It  might  have  been," 
More  sad  by  far  we  daily  see, 
"It  is — but  it  haddent  orto  be." 

I  have  often  tried  to  make  you  understand  on  how  much  greater  a  scale 
this  West  is  than  the  Eastern  part  of  our  country;  and  it  is  only  very  lately 
that  this  has  been  borne  home  to  me  by  the  interruption  of  traffic  and  the 
great  loss  of  life  caused  by  avalanches  or  snow  slides  in  the  Cascade  Moun- 
tains. In  my  mind,  at  least,  avalanches  have  been  associated  with  the  Alps 
and  other  mountains  in  far-off  lands,  and  even  then  in  some  time  in  the 
more  or  less  misty  past — and  have  been  viewed  in  a  similar  way  that  we 
read  about  the  famine  in  India,  floods  on  the  Yang  Tse  Kiang,  or  some 
cataclysm  in  the  Congo  valley,  earthquakes  in  Tokyo,  and  not  as  a  thing  to 
be  taken  in  a  serious  way  by  us,  or  even  affecting  ourselves  even  in  the  most 
indirect  way.  During  the  last  few  days  it  has  been  impressed  on  us  here 
that  these  things  are  not  all  to  be  endured  by  those  whom  we  call  for- 
eigners; but  are  an  issue  which  have  to  be  reckoned  with  by  ourselves.  Of 
course  these  things  only  happen  where  nature  has  constructed  things  on  a 
large  plan,  and  it  is  this  same  largeness  that  makes  it  almost  impossible  to 
contend  against.  Mark  Twain  has  written  some  beautiful  descriptions 
and  touching  accounts  of  Alpine  slides,  but  his  is  only  a  word  picture. 
Here  it  has  been  some  different.  When  one  goes  on  the  street  and  can  see 
daily  for  perhaps  a  week  a  funeral  cortege  of  a  dozen  hearses  on  their  way 
to  the  cemetery,  and  know  that  there  are  many  more  bodies  in  ice  and  snow, 
rocks,  trees,  boulders,  train  wreckage  and  other  debris,  in  the  canyon  only 
a  few  miles  from  this  city,  where  snow  is  uncommon,  it  makes  one  realize 
that  there  is  a  vast  difference  from  the  smaller  country  in  which  we  were 
raised,  and  the  conditions  under  which  we  were  living.  True  it  is  that 
in  the  case  of  the  avalanches  at  Roger's  Pass  and  Glacier  many  of  those  who 
lost  their  life  were  Japanese,  while  in  the  case  of  the  slides  at  Wellington 
where  the  whole  train  was  swept  into  the  canyon  the  loss  of  life  was  all 
whites.  I  do  not  know  whether  or  not  you  have  read  the  newspaper  ac- 
counts of  these  happenings,  but  they  beggar  description,  and  the  end  is  not 
yet.  The  slides  are  occurring  daily,  but  in  the  last  day  or  two  there  has 
not  been  any  further  loss  of  life;  but  on  the  other  hand  those  already  dead 

500 


FAMILY  LINEAGE 


have  not  all  been  recovered;  and  the  long  funeral  processions  still  continue. 
In  the  case  of  the  disaster  at  Wellington  on  the  G.  N.  R.,  just  as  the  express 
for  this  city  came  through  the  long  tunnel  they  were  brought  to  a  stop  by 
word  of  slides  and  avalanches  ahead;  and  the  train  was  finally  left  standing 
on  a  "bench"  just  outside  of  the  tunnel.  The  passengers,  many  of  whom 
were  very  nervous  and  somewhat  frightened,  wanted  the  train  crew  to  back 
into  the  tunnel  itself  for  safety.  The  train  crew,  knowing  that  help  must 
come  from  the  further  end  of  the  "bore"  and  being  afraid  from  the  nature 
of  the  mountain  sides  that  they  would  be  buried  in  the  tunnel  by  ava- 
lanches at  the  tunnel's  mouth,  left  the  train  in  what  they  considered  the 
safest  place.  Two  men  who  were  tired  of  waiting  and  knew  the  lay  of  the 
country,  started  to  walk  about  fifteen  miles  across  country,  and  made  the 
trip  safely;  they  are  the  only  ones  of  all  those  who  were  on  that  train 
(some  one  hundred  and  fifty  in  all)  who  are  now  living.  When  relief  trains 
arrived  on  the  scene  the  express  was  not  there.  Avalanches  down  the 
mountain  sides  had  swept  the  train,  track,  and  even  the  place  where  the 
train  had  stood,  into  the  canyon.  Many  of  the  bodies  are  still  in  the  canyon 
among  the  wreckage,  snow,  ice,  and  trees.  The  G.  N.  R.  sent  a  large  num- 
ber of  men — Europeans — to  the  scene  of  the  disaster  to  clear  things  up, 
and  according  to  accounts  these  "Apaches"  started  in  to  loot  the  bodies, 
and  the  crews  of  the  trains  had  to  drive  them  off"  with  firearms;  at  any  rate 
the  G.  N.  R.  had  to  remove  the  gang  and  send  others  in  their  place.  The 
papers  are  not  giving  very  full  accounts  of  this  accident.  Wellington  is  in 
the  State  of  Washington.  In  the  case  of  the  accident  at  Roger's  Pass  the 
express  trains  were  not  touched.  There  was  a  work  train  with  a  crew  en- 
gaged in  trying  to  clear  the  road,  when  the  big  avalanche  came  without 
warning.  The  number  of  the  dead  is  variously  estimated  from  sixty-five 
to  ninety-two,  many  of  whom  are  Japanese.  And  here  again  the  dead  are 
not  all  recovered.  The  "Jap,"  as  I  have  told  you,  is  not  liked  here,  but 
when  the  funeral  passes  the  whites  take  off  their  hats  and  all  are  agreed  that 
he  is  a  brave  man,  one  who  is  not  afraid  to  work  in  a  dangerous  place  and 
one  who  keeps  his  head  when  death  is  looking  him  in  the  face.  The  num- 
ber of  lives  lost  in  Roger's  Pass  will  probably  never  be  known  exactly.  The 
track,  which  was  supposed  to  be  in  a  safe  place,  was  also  protected  by  snow- 
sheds.  These  were  torn  away.  The  train,  engines,  and  snow  plows  were 
demolished,  and  the  track  site  buried  to  a  depth  of  over  twenty  feet.  The 
road  was  opened  after  nearly  a  week  only  to  be  again  filled  in  by  slides. 
Those  who  saw  the  bodies  as  they  were  taken  from  the  snow  give  descrip- 
tions that  are  not  cribbed  from  any  poet's  dreams.  In  the  majority  of 
cases  there  were  no  wounds  or  bruises;  the  wind  ahead  of  the  avalanche 
seemed  to  carry  them  and  hold  them  suspended  and  they  were  smothered 
by  the  snow,  which  was  light,  as  it  buried  them,  although  it  soon  became 
almost  like  ice.  In  nearly  all  cases  the  faces  were  placid,  and  they  looked 
like  statues  of  marble  and  bronze;  their  faces  were  as  if  they  had  been 
asleep.  In  many,  many  cases  the  bodies  had  to  be  taken  up  the  mountain 
sides  on  toboggans.    In  some  cases  the  victims  had  nearly  got  clear — a 

501 


HOME-MAKING  AND  ITS  PHILOSOPHY 


few  inches  more  and  they  would  have  worked  their  way  to  the  surface;  but 
death  came  in  the  shape  of  suffocation,  and  cold  caught  them  in  spite  of  all 
they  could  do. 

The  warm  weather  coming  unusually  early  is  given  as  the  cause.  The 
snow,  which  usually  melts  away  by  warm  winds  and  the  sun,  slid  down 
the  sides  of  the  mountains,  carrying  all  before  it.  They  tell  me  that  al- 
though these  slides  have  to  be  watched  for,  the  likes  of  these  are  unknown. 
And  still  the  slides  continue,  but  they  will  soon  be  over.  Spring  is  here, 
and  the  sun  and  warm  winds  will  soon  make  the  snow  disappear,  and  in  a 
few  days  all  that  you  can  see  to  mark  the  places  of  these  tragedies  will  be 
the  paths  of  the  avalanches  on  the  mountain  sides.  The  writers  in  the 
magazines  tell  us  that  as  the  mountains  are  denuded  of  their  timber,  floods 
and  avalanches  will  become  more  common;  and  it  looks  as  though  they  may 
be  right.  If  the  like  of  this  comes  every  spring,  travel  will  indeed  be 
dangerous. 

I  do  so  miss  the  wife  and  our  little  boy — do  not  get  over  it,  miss  them 
every  day.  Had  hoped  to  have  had  them  here  in  January,  but  "The  best 
laid  plans  of  mice  and  men  'gang  aft  aglee." 

I  trust  you  are  feeling  better,  and  that  you  will  write  soon. 

Letter  to  the  author  from  his  sister  Annie,  written  from 
South  Tacoma,  Washington,  December  14,  1909: 

I  was  pleased  to  get  your  letter  last  month  and  would  have  answered 
sooner,  but  I  have  not  had  a  meal  alone  for  seven  weeks.  Our  new  pastor, 
Rev.  James  Banton,  from  British  Columbia  was  with  me,  and  his  wife  and 
two  daughters  part  of  the  time,  and  then  a  lady  and  her  baby  boy  from 
Bellingham  for  two  weeks — in  fact  this  summer  has  been  extra  strenuous. 
I  feel  very  tired,  for  there  is  a  great  deal  depending  upon  me.  Sometimes 
I  think  I  cannot  get  through,  but  somehow  the  Lord  helps  me  and  I  get 
strength  to  get  it  done.  Our  new  pastor  is  a  grand,  spiritual  man  and  both 
he  and  his  wife  are  extra  singers,  so  they  are  a  great  help. 

We  knew  them  slightly  about  fifteen  years  ago,  when  Victoria  and  Van- 
couver met  with  us  in  our  association  and  convention.  I  am  very  much 
pleased  with  your  Preface,  and  with  all  the  advance  pages  you  sent.  I 
think  you  did  very  well  and  I  congratulate  you.  Florence  is  very  happy 
and  well.    They  have  been  quite  busy  all  summer. 

Well,  it  is  getting  near  Christmas  again  and  as  it  comes,  I  long  to  see  the 
home  faces.  This  is  the  first  of  the  letters,  but  I  hope  to  write  a  Christmas 
letter  to  all  the  brothers  and  sisters.  I  do  wish  Sarah  was  better.  If 
she  was  here  I  think  I  know  a  doctor  who  could  help  her,  but  she  thinks  she 
could  not  travel  so  far.  Dear  girl,  how  all  the  old  times  flow  back  when  we 
played  together.  I  hope  in  the  providence  of  God  we  may  meet  again. 
We  are  going  to  send  you  a  tie  pin  and  we  want  you  to  wear  it,  and  some- 
times think  of  the  givers.  George  is  very  busy;  gets  more  so  as  the  days 
go  by — more  territory,  more  people,  more  responsibility,  but  he  is  suited 

502 


FAMILY  LINEAGE 


to  the  work  and  the  people  like  him.  He  very  often  takes  the  place  of  a 
minister  at  the  burial  of  some  one.  Jenny  is  going  to  school,  and  is  pretty 
well.    We  all  send  love  and  best  wishes  for  a  very  happy  Christmas. 

Letter  to  the  author  from  his  sister  Hattie,  written  from 

Stanley,  N.  S.,  January  27,  1910: 

I  thought  I  would  jot  a  few  lines  to  you  and  wish  you  a  happy  New 
Year.  Down  in  the  deep  recesses  of  our  hearts,  if  we  feel  that  we  can  lean 
on  the  strong  arms  of  the  Sympathizing  One  whate'er  befall,  He  can  sustain 
us.  I  wish  some  things  were  different,  but  one  can  only  make  the  best  of 
them  and  hope  for  the  best.  Perhaps  you  think  I  do  not  sympathize  with 
you  enough,  but  indeed  I  do — with  you  away  from  the  home  you  valued  so 
much.  To  a  lover  of  home  it  means  a  great  deal.  I  hope  you  may  be 
sustained.  I  hear  you  are  not  well.  Perhaps  if  you  could  be  ministered 
to,  by  those  near  and  dear,  you  would  improve  in  health  and  spirits.  I 
have  just  come  home  from  Amherst  Point,  after  visiting  friends  there  for 
more  than  a  week.  Part  of  the  way  there,  there  was  much  snow  and  the 
roads  very  bad,  so  much  rain  followed  by  snowstorm.  General  Booth's 
son  is  in  Amherst  holding  meetings.  He  speaks  in  the  churches,  but  I  did 
not  hear  him  on  account  of  the  state  of  the  roads.  Thought  I  had  better 
come  home  with  Wilber  through  town,  as  they  might  be  worse.  Am  look- 
ing for  letters  from  Sister  Emily,  Sarah  and  Annie,  although  I  heard  from 
them  some  two  weeks  ago.  Sarah's  eyes  are  a  great  affliction,  otherwise 
she  is  somewhat  better.  Every  one  has  some  trial.  One  man,  with  his 
wife  in  the  asylum  at  Dartmouth,  cannot  sleep  without  powders,  and  some- 
times not  then.  I  think  there  is  a  good  deal  of  fine  manhood  in  Harry. 
I  send  you  a  hymn  for  the  New  Year  (see  Luke  24 129) : 

"Abide  with  us,  thou  Saviour  dear, 

Throughout  this  new  and  untried  year; 

Guest  of  our  hearts,  our  spirits  grieve 

To  think  that  even  Thou  might'st  leave. 

We  need  Thee  as  our  loving  guide 

Both  day  and  night  —  with  us  abide. 
"We  think  of  dear  ones  far  away — 

Dwell  with  them  ever,  Lord,  we  pray; 

That  midst  all  changes  they  may  prove 

The  precious  wealth  of  Thy  great  love. 

Be  Thou  their  friend,  whate'er  betide — 

With  every  one,  dear  Lord,  abide. 
"Abide  with  us  when  twilight's  gray 

Foretells  the  close  of  life's  bright  day, 

And  well  we  know  eternity 

Can  bring  no  better  friend  than  Thee. 

O  glory!    Wondrous  deep  and  wide, 

With  Thee  forever  to  abide." 


5°3 


HOME-MAKING  AND  ITS  PHILOSOPHY 


Letter  to  the  author  from  his  son  Harry,  written  from 
Vancouver,  B.  G,  January  n,  1910: 

A  few  days  ago  I  received  that  Abraham  Lincoln  Calendar  you  sent  me 
for  Christmas.  I  have  read  it  through  and  it  is  exceptionally  well  made  up 
and  interesting  right  through.  I  have  strong  hopes  of  better  things  in  the 
near  future.  But  things  are  not  exactly  rose  tinted  at  the  present  time.  Our 
family  does  not  seem  to  be  highly  favored  when  fortune  is  passing  out  the 
good  things  of  this  life.  That  it  will  be  otherwise  in  the  future  "  'Tis  a  con- 
summation devoutly  to  be  wish'd."  I  had  a  bright,  cheery  letter  from 
Josephine  a  few  days  ago.  Allison  is  well,  but  she  has  had  a  bad  attack  of 
tonsilitis,  with  which  she  is  bothered  considerably  in  the  winter  season. 
Am  in  hopes  when  she  comes  West  that  will  be  changed,  for,  compared  with 
other  parts  of  Canada,  there  is  no  winter  here. 

For  the  coming  year  the  prospects  are  good  in  all  lines,  industrial  and 
otherwise,  but  January  is  nearly  always  quiet. 

The  people  of  the  two  or  three  Vancouver  cities  claim  that  this  is  becom- 
ing the  most  beautiful  city  or  cities  on  the  American  Continent.  Land- 
scape architects  are  laying  out  the  new  town  sites.  The  municipality  is 
paying  for  this  and  selling  the  lots,  acres,  or  subdivisions,  and  doing  it  in 
such  a  way  that  these  parcels  of  land  cannot  be  subdivided,  so  that  when 
the  work  is  complete  it  will  be  part  of  a  harmonious  plan.  The  city  of 
North  Vancouver  has  already  laid  out  a  large  boulevard,  having  parks  and 
pleasure  grounds  mixed  in  with  building  lots.  But  of  course  everything  is 
raw,  crude  and  unfinished,  as  the  work  is  still  under  progress.  It  is  a  very 
expensive  operation,  as  stumps  here  cannot  be  pulled  out  with  a  yoke  of 
oxen  as  back  East.  What  do  you  think  of  clearing  trees  four  feet  in  diam- 
eter and  one  hundred  feet  high  off  land  to  make  room  for  a  city  residence  ? 
That  is  the  way  this  city  is  growing,  and  that  is  being  done  in  the  munic- 
ipality of  Point  Grey,  Vancouver.  Things  are  growing  and  growing  fast. 
Lots  of  property  inside  the  city  limits  has  changed  hands  since  I  came  here 
at  an  increase  of  over  twenty-five  per  cent  in  value. 

In  clearing  land  here  dynamite  is  the  chief  agent,  after  that,  Oriental 
labor.  From  three  hundred  dollars  to  six  hundred  dollars  is  about  what  is 
estimated  per  acre  to  clear  land  in  this  part  of  British  Columbia.  Where 
the  trees  are  so  large  and  tall  the  roots  cover — shall  we  say — half  a  county  ? 
There  is  an  extensive  programme  laid  out  for  this  province  during  the  com- 
ing five  years  in  railroad  construction,  and  railroad  construction  means 
something  in  this  province,  for  the  province  is  all  mountains,  containing 
what  is  claimed  to  be  some  of  the  grandest  scenery  in  the  world;  and  no  one 
yet  knows  anything  of  the  mineral  wealth  in  these  same  wild  and  almost 
inaccessible  Rocky  Mountains,  covered  by  glaciers  and  torrents,  with 
sections  of  forest,  composed  of  those  gigantic  trees,  in  more  sheltered  parts 
of  the  slopes,  with  valley  districts  here  and  there,  where  the  virgin  soil  will 
produce  almost  everything,  including  the  semi-tropical  fruits.  This 
province  is  about  fifteen  times  the  size  of  Nova  Scotia,  and  even  with  its 

504 


FAMILY  LINEAGE 


cities — although  the  Vancouvers  have  a  population  of  100,000 — the  whole 
population  of  British  Columbia  and  Vancouver  Island  is  only  about 
four  hundred  and  fifty  thousand.  A  large  part  of  this  province  has  never 
been  explored,  and  no  one  knows  what  Nature  has  stowed  away  amid  those 
rocky  fortresses.  But — and  this  is  no  canard — the  whole  of  the  American 
Continent  is  interested  here  now  and  this  city  and  province  is  bound  to 
grow.  It  is  growing  now.  They  say,  "  Fate  hangs  out  no  red  lights  at  the 
crossings  of  a  man's  destiny,"  and  that  must  be  so,  or  we  would  have  been 
out  here  years  ago  and  got  in  on  the  ground  floor,  when  fortunes  were  to 
be  made  in  a  few  days,  or  rather  made  themselves.  It  seems  as  if  that  "  old 
guy"  who  said  that  it  took  one  life  to  learn  how  to  live  was  not  so  far  wrong 
after  all.  Why  do  you  not  fit  up  a  calendar  similar  to  that  Abraham  Lin- 
coln one  on  the  late  lamented  Joseph  Howe  ?  It  should  take  well  in  Nova 
Scotia  and  in  other  provinces  also,  as  his  life  had  so  much  to  do  with  the 
history  of  Nova  Scotia.  Had  a  nice  letter  from  Aunt  Hattie  a  few  days  ago. 
She  was  well  and  at  Stanley. 

A  letter  from  the  author  to  his  sister  Hattie: 

I  am  glad  you  are  visiting  Emily,  which  will  be  mutual  enjoyment.  I 
have  letters  from  Harry  and  Nettie  by  the  same  mail.  I  wish  you  would 
write  them  both,  from  your  hearts,  before  you  separate.  Life  at  times  will 
be  lonely  to  them  among  throngs  of  strangers.  They  came  into  my  own 
life  in  its  happiest  period  with  their  loving  and  faithful  mother  of  precious 
memory. 

It  has  taken  me  sixty-eight  years  to  catch  that  deeper  note  in  our  noble 
father's  life,  which  he  had  reached  long  before  his  death  fifty  years  ago.  I 
recall  him  standing  with  a  neighbor  near  the  house  entrance  on  that  whole- 
hearted knoll,  in  the  cooling  shade  and  gentle  tremor  of  the  leaves,  looking 
out  over  the  bright  green  fields  and  sparkling  river,  bathing  their  spirits  in 
something  beyond  their  sight.  As  a  child  I  was  mystically  charmed  by 
what  I  could  not  know.  The  note  he  sought  in  fuller  measure  was  to  see 
himself  to  be  a  son  of  the  King  of  Kings.  It  was  like  a  Sabbath  rest  bearing 
him  along  his  meditative  way.  That  life  of  shining  honesty  with  lasting 
charm  holds  us  fast  for  deeper  service  to  human  kind,  making  us  realize 
that  there  is  a  deeper  union  than  any  which  is  furnished  by  family  ties. 
"In  the  consciousness  of  human  brotherhood  there  is  added  a  new  bond 
uniting  in  a  new  fraternity  those  who  recognize  in  God  their  Father  and  in 
every  man  a  brother.  There  is,  in  other  words,  not  only  a  brotherhood  of 
men  but  also  a  'communion  of  saints.'  But  the  two  are  not  identical, 
and  the  second  could  not  exist  were  it  not  for  the  first,  out  of  which  it  grows 
as  the  flower  from  the  stem." 

"Back  of  the  gloom — 
The  bloom! 
Back  of  the  strife — 
Sweet  life. 


505 


HOME-MAKING  AND  ITS  PHILOSOPHT 


And  flowering  meadows  that  glow  and  gleam 
Where  the  winds  sing  joy  and  the  daisies  dream, 
And  the  sunbeams  color  the  quickening  clod, 
And  faith  in  the  future  and  trust  in  God. 

Back  of  the  gloom — 

The  bloom! 

Fronting  the  night — 

The  light! 

Under  the  snows — 

The  rose! 

And  the  valleys  sing  joy  to  the  misty  hills, 
And  the  wild  winds  ripple  it  down  the  rills; 
And  the  far  stars  answer  the  song  that  swells 
With  all  the  music  of  all  the  bells! 

Fronting  the  night — 

The  light!" 


506 


REGENT  OPINIONS 


This  book  is  a  real  contribution  to  a  very  important  part  of  the  world's 
literature.  Any  word  written  in  the  interest  of  the  Home  must  always 
command  attention.  This  is  such  a  writing,  with  a  line  of  emphasis  underneath 
each  word.  In  this  volume  are  blocks  of  granite  truth,  and  they  are  laid  in  the 
foundation  of  Human  society. 

REV.  CORTLAND  MYERS,  D.  D. 

Pastor  Tremont  Temple,  Boston,  Massachusetts. 

Dated,  Dedham,  Massachusetts. 

"Home-Making  and  Its  Philosophy"  is  a  shaft  of  light  and  warmth 
to  the  family  circle;  and  whether  the  home  has  been  created,  or  a  new  one 
is  contemplated,  the  wholesome  influence  of  Mr.  Archibald's  book  of  do- 
mestic truth  will  bear  fruit  in  helping  to  make  the  nation  better,  stronger  and 
purer. 

B.  B.  USSHER. 

Bishop,  of  Episcopal  Church. 

"Home-Making"  is  a  rich  and  beautiful  writing  for  the  family  circle, 
overflowing  with  wondrous  beauty  in  naive  expressions  drawn  from  the  deeper 
thoughts  in  best  life. 

MRS.  MARGARET  A.  RAYMOND  DICKIE. 

Canton,  Massachusetts. 

The  sample  leaves  of  "Home-Making"  are  received.  .  .  .  Very 
many  of  the  paragraphs  and  lines  are  very  musical  and  seem  to  be  awaiting 
a  chorus  to  sing  themselves  aloud.  The  charming  narrative  is  borne  along  in 
the  purest  of  good  King's  English.  Your  little  grandson,  Willie  Allison,  will 
soon  be  able  to  read  them  without  my  help. 

MRS.  JOSEPHINE  H.  A.  ARCHIBALD. 

Dear  Father : 

I  have  the  pictures  and  specimen  pages  of  your  volume.  It  must  be 
an  interesting  work  and  pretty  nearly  a  history  of  people  in  Nova  Scotia, 
New  Brunswick  and  New  England.  The  pages  show  good  English,  direct, 
forcible,  simple  —  no  reaching  on  dusty  shelf  for  seldom-used  word  with 
whose  very  appearance  you  are  not  familiar.  The  language  is  very  beautiful 
and  clear  in  meaning.  As  an  historical  narrative  it  is  a  rare  volume  of  merit 
to  be  handed  on  for  centuries. 

HARRY  ALLISON  ARCHIBALD,  M.  E. 

Vancouver,  Canada. 


"Home-Making  and  Its  Philosophy" 

BINDINGS  AND  PRICES 

Edition  de  Luxe,  bound  in  rich  Wine-colored  Morocco,  Antique 

Finish,  Gold  Edges,  heavy  Gold  Lettering,  $10.00 

Full  Red  Leather,  Embossed,  Gilt  Edges,  $7.50 

Best  Purple  Cloth,  Embossed  Back  and  Cover,  Smooth  Edges,  $5.00 

Any  of  the  above  Bindings  will  be  mailed  by  the  Author,  203 
SUDBURY  BUILDING,  BOSTON,  MASS.,  on  receipt  of  price. 


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